Edelweiss
by BEN-Beyond the Elusive Nomads
Summary: Sequel to Wallflower. They met during their seventh year at Hogwarts and then, they fell in love. Married and with children, Sirius and Adelaide try the best they can to help the Potter’s live a normal life. SBOC, slight AU ending, cannon pairings.
1. Five Years

**Edelweiss**

**Chapter One: **Five Years

Sirius awoke to complete silence, something that was rare in the Black household, and sighed blissfully. Adelaide was laying beside him, her stomach swelled up to an almost comical size, and her mouth hanging open as she slept. Sirius brushed some of her hair out of her face, before flopping over onto his back and staring at the ceiling. He remembered what today was, and smiled.

It was July 31, Harry's sixth birthday.

As soon as he thought it, there was the pitter patter of feet as they neared the door, which slammed open as Aludra bounded in and jumped onto the bed with a grin taking up over half of her face.

"Daddy! Wake up, wake up!" she screamed. She scrambled up to him and sat on his stomach, bouncing up and down in an attempt to 'wake him up'.

"I'm up, I'm up," Sirius said loudly, and Adelaide stirred beside him, her eyes fluttering open and she yawned.

"Wassis?" she murmured sleepily.

"Mummy."

Adelaide turned her head towards the door, where a small two year old boy stood, still dressed in a pair of pajamas and a stuffed dog clamped in his arms. His dark brown hair was hanging in his eyes, which he rubbed tiredly with his fisted hand, and he looked like he had been woken up much earlier then he wanted.

"Hey, baby," she coed, and the child didn't waste time in scrambling over and standing at her bed side, the mattresses stopping at his chin, "what's wrong?"

"Ally woke me up," he murmured sleepily, "I wanna sleep." Adelaide sighed.

"Don't worry, Aludra-"

"Don't call me Aludra!"

"-woke me up too."

Aludra stuck her tongue out at her mother, before saying, "Well, if Noah didn't try to sleep all day then we wouldn't have a problem!"

"Be nice to your brother," Sirius said, and Aludra turned and looked at him with wide, incredulous eyes.

"But daddy! You're supposed to be on my side!" she whined. Sirius raised his eyebrows and smirked slightly.

"Well, I'm Noah's dad too-"

"I was here first!"

"-and I don't chose sides; it's part of Dad Law 101." Sirius finished. Aludra whined angrily, and huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. Sirius raised his eyebrows, "That isn't going to work on me, and you know it."

"It might!" she said in determination. Sirius laughed, but shook his head.

"Get off. I need to get up," he said and Aludra shook her head with a pout. Sirius raised his eyebrows again, and in a swift movement hooked his hands under Aldura's arms, lifted her up, swung his legs over the bed, and sat Aludra down onto the floor. Aludra glared at him, huffed a little, before stomping out of the room. Noah watched with wide eyes, before turning and looking at Adelaide for answers. She chuckled with a small smile, and ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry, it's not your fault," she said. Noah seemed to relax slightly, and looked up at Sirius with wide eyes. Adelaide nodded, "Yes, it's daddy's fault she's upset."

"Isn't the first time," he murmured. Adelaide sat up with a grunt, before glancing at the clock. She sighed.

"It's ten o'clock," she murmured, "Harry's party starts at twelve." Noah padded over to the other side of the bed and tugged at Sirius' pants. Sirius picked him up and Noah smiled happily, but stayed quiet as he watched Adelaide stand and pop her back. She sighed, before glancing around the room with a raised eyebrow.

"Did you clean up after I went to sleep?"

"Just a little," Sirius admitted. Adelaide smiled appreciatively.

"Thank you," she said happily, "I would never have gotten to it." Sirius didn't say anything, but looked over at Noah.

"Are you excited to see Harry today?" he asked. Noah nodded with a small smile. Adelaide rolled her eyes.

"He's so quiet," she murmured, "I have no idea who he takes after." Sirius snorted.

"Well, eight years ago I would have said you, but that really isn't the case anymore," he teased. Adelaide blushed before walking out into the hallway and towards the bathroom.

"I'm taking a shower," she called, "I expect you to get Noah dressed when I get out!" She closed the bathroom door behind her, and Sirius shared a look with Noah.

"So, what do you wanna wear?" Sirius asked. Noah shrugged and Sirius sighed, "I know you or I don't care, but Mummy wants you to look nice." Noah pouted, before sighing in an exasperated tone, causing Sirius to grin in amusement.

"Fine," Noah said with a dramatic roll of his eyes, "I wanna wear what makes mummy happy." Sirius chuckled and headed towards his bedroom, the green bedroom that had previously belonged to Adelaide when she first moved in.

"A wise decision," Sirius added, setting Noah on the bed and looking through his wardrobe, "What about blue? You like blue, right?"

"Blue's my favorite color," Noah said softly, watching his feet as he moved them back and forth with a bored expression. Sirius sighed, before pulling out a pair of dark jeans and a blue button up shirt. He hesitated, though, and glanced at the shirt again.

"Is that too formal?" he asked, mostly to himself, "it's a birthday party, you'll probably get cake everywhere and Mummy won't like that."

"Then get a different shirt," Noah said, eyes not straying from his feet. Sirius rolled his eyes, but handed him the blue shirt. Noah took it with a bored expression before Sirius left the room and headed downstairs. He bumped into Aludra, who was dressed in a pair of ratty old muggle jeans and a tee-shirt. He raised his eyebrows.

"You know that you won't be allowed out of the house in that, right?" Sirius asked, and Aludra pouted.

"What's so special about _Harry?" _she asked angrily, "Why do I have to dress up for _him?" _Sirius rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair, causing her to bat his hands away.

"Think of it this way," he said, "You dress up nice to make mummy happy, and when mummy's happy I'm happy, and when we're happy you guys are happy."

"But what if I don't like being happy?" Aludra pouted, scuffing her foot along the ground, "What if I like being sad?" Sirius rolled his eyes again.

"No one likes being sad," he countered, "Now you need to get up stairs and put on something nice. Or do you need me to do that for you?" Aludra groaned theatrically before moving back up stairs and (presumably) to her room. She brushed passed a still sleepy looking Noah, who stumbled slightly on the last step. His shirt was buttoned incorrectly, and he looked up at Sirius with a pleading expression.

"Help?" he asked. Sirius chuckled again before kneeling and fixing his shirt. Noah was blushing slightly, but was still very quiet as Sirius readjusted the buttons. After he fixed the last one he ruffled Noah's already messy hair.

"Are we even going to try and fix your hair, or is it not worth the trouble?" he asked. Noah shrugged. Sirius resisted the urge to sigh. Noah was definitely a smart kid, but he was so quiet over half the time that more then once they had thought he was a mute.

"Daddy!" Aludra screamed from up stairs, "Noah didn't flush the toilet last night!"

"Then flush it!" Sirius yelled back. He heard the whirl of the toilet, and looked down to see Noah smiling sheepishly. Sirius raised an eyebrow, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Maybe," he said slyly. Sirius let out a loud bark of laughter and ruffled his hair again before putting on a strict face. Noah grinned before ducking under his arm and darting back upstairs, and Sirius sighed as he heard his door slam loudly behind him. He stood, and Aludra came back down stairs, this time dressed in a pink sleeveless dress. She was frowning and she walked right past Sirius and huffed dramatically as she took a seat on the couch.

"Okay, you're blowing this out of proportions," Sirius said. Aludra furrowed her eyebrows.

"Por-por-shuns?" she questioned.

"You're making a big fuss over nothing," Sirius corrected. Aludra shrugged, as if to say why should I care, and went back to staring at the fireplace. Sirius sighed and took a seat next to her.

"You're going to start your second year at primary school soon," he said, shifting the conversation quickly, "are you excited?" Aludra had one of those odd birthdays, and even though she was born close to September 1, she had to wait a whole year before attending school. That meant that she and Harry were both in the same year at their primary school, one that didn't know who Harry was and was well protected by James, Sirius, and Remus.

"No," she huffed angrily, "Muggles are so stupid!" Sirius sighed, regretting the change in conversation.

"Why do you say that?" he asked. Aludra shifted in her seat awkwardly.

"Maurice stole my cookie," she murmured. Sirius felt the urge to chuckle, but didn't. Instead he gently patted her back in a soothing manner.

"The fact that she's a muggle doesn't mean anything," he said, "Don't let one person ruin your opinion on their whole kind. It's thinking like that that leads to wars and the like." Aludra sniffed, but otherwise didn't respond. Sirius knew that he had gotten as much of a response as he could, and stood before heading back up the stairs and knocking on Noah's door.

"Noah, you need to head downstairs," he called. He noticed that the bathroom door was open and that the master bedroom was closed, alerting him that Adelaide was getting dressed, "Mummy's going to be ready to go soon." He walked away from the door and went back down stairs and he heard his door open and shut behind him. He moved into the kitchen, when he heard Adelaide sigh.

"Sirius, you're still in your pajamas," she said with a small grin. She was wearing a black blouse that managed to cover her large stomach, and khaki slacks. Sirius blinked and looked down in surprise while Noah giggled happily.

"Huh. You're right," he said nonchalantly. Noah giggled.

"Daddy isn't ready!!" he said, before toddling over to the couch and crawling up and setting beside Aludra, who ignored him for the most part. Adelaide chuckled, and as Sirius walked past her to get up stairs she slapped his backside.

"Hurry up!" she chuckled. Sirius stuck his tongue out at her playfully, before continuing up the stairs. Adelaide sighed before moving to the couch and taking in her kids appearances. She nodded in approval, "Not bad. To bad he can't dress himself." Aludra giggled softly while Noah grinned toothily. Sirius came back down stairs quickly in a button down red shirt and nice blue jeans. Adelaide nodded her approval.

"To the floo!" she called happily.

-

"Happy birthday, Harry!"

Harry blew out his candles with a large smile, and everyone cheered happily. Adelaide smiled before grabbing the cake knife.

"I don't know about you all," she said happily, "but I've been craving cake since I woke up." Lily chuckled and got the plates ready while James poured the drinks into cups. Harry was still smiling, and a less-then-please Aludra sat beside him with a small frown.

"Why are you so happy?" she asked grumpily.

"Because I made a good wish!" Harry said proudly. Aludra snorted.

"Yeah right; you're only six, you probably wished for a dog or something stupid like that," she snapped. Harry glared lightly at her and crossed his arms.

"You're only six, too! You can't decide whether or not my wish was good!" he countered. Aludra glared.

"I'm almost seven! And I can do what I want!"

"Aludra! Stop pushing Harry's buttons!" Adelaide snapped. Aludra huffed and sunk into her seat, but her face lit up when her slice of cake was placed in front of her. Harry grinned and grabbed his fork before digging in.

"Hopefully, no one will get cake in their hair," Remus said with a small smile. Sirius blushed slightly while the others laughed merrily. There was a loud pop, startling everyone, as Dumbledore apparated into the room with a smile.

"Hello," he greeted merrily, "I hope your day has been going well so far?" Lily smiled, but you could see the worry hidden in her eyes.

"Yes, everything is going just fine," she responded, "How has you're day been?"

"Wonderful, really," Dumbledore hummed, before he glanced at the cake, "am I right in assuming that Adelaide made the cake?" Adelaide blushed.

"Actually, no," she said bashfully, "I was, but it got…messed up. So I ordered one for them from a nearby muggle bakery." Sirius chuckled, as if he knew something the others didn't, Adelaide lightly bumped him with her foot, her blush deepening. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, but didn't comment.

"Well, I believe I have a sort of present for Harry," he announced, clapping his hands together lightly, "It seems that with Sirius' capture of Austin Mulciber last weekend, that almost all the remaining Death Eaters are in Azkaban or awaiting trial. As you might have guessed by now, this means that Harry will be allowed to come out of hiding."

There was a second of silence, before everyone began to laugh or cheer in relief, hugging each other, and Lily and Adelaide both burst into tears. They at first thought it was happy tears, but Adelaide brought her hands to her stomach and winced.

"Ow," she murmured, before looking at Sirius with wide eyes, "Oh shit, I think I'm going into labor."

Everyone pushed the happy news from their minds and quickly say Adelaide down on the couch in the living room, while she winced in pain. Lily stood by her and held her hand, and Adelaide attempted to calm down.

"How far apart are your contractions?" Lily asked immediately. Adelaide shrugged but gave no other verbal sign of acknowledgement. She was mostly silent, and Sirius held her hand tightly. Noah and Harry looked at her in confusion, while Aludra looked bored.

"What's happening?" Harry asked.

"Mummy's about to give birth," Aludra said nonchalantly. Harry's eyes widened.

"Really?" he asked excitedly. Aludra rolled her eyes, but otherwise nodded. Noah looked slightly confused.

"Where's the baby gonna come from?" he asked. Aludra rolled her eyes again.

"Duh, out her mouth!"

"Ow, shit, that was maybe eleven minutes, give or take a few, it was hard to count," Adelaide said. Sirius tugged on his hair, and a forgotten Dumbledore watched with slight curiosity. Noah tilted his head curiously.

"Shit?" he asked innocently, but no one heard him.

"We should take you to St. Mungos," Sirius said quickly, "Right? We should, right?"

"After going through this two times already, you would think he would be a bit calmer," Remus murmured to James, who nodded. Sirius didn't hear, and instead helped her to her feet while she winced in pain.

"Yeah, the hospital's a good place to go," she said sarcastically, "Someone grab the kids."

To say the birth was quick would be an understatement. Compared to Aludra's birth, it was very quick. Adelaide groaned as Sirius moved her sweat-soaked hair out of her forehead as the doctors cleaned up their baby, another boy.

"Did we ever decide on a name?" he asked her softly. She smiled and her eyes only barely hung open.

"I liked Ryan. Ryan Sirius Black," she murmured, "It's fitting, I think."

"I love it," Sirius murmured, feeling his heart swell up with pride, "It's very fitting." The doctor turned and smiled, before handing her the small bundle of blankets. She cooed happily as she saw him and Sirius felt his heart swell up. He had no hair to speak of, unlike his siblings, and blue eyes that were wide and staring at everyone in amazement. He was a miniature Sirius, to Adelaide's joy. She felt tears build up in her eyes and she smiled happily up at Sirius, who was beaming with pride.

"Lemme see!" Aludra yelled, bursting into the room with Lily, James, Remus and Harry hurrying in afterwards while Noah took his time, gnawing on his thumb. Aludra was the first to reach the side of the bed, but her loud entrance had disturbed Ryan causing him to start screaming. Adelaide sighed and Aludra made a face.

"He's loud," she complained, "and ob-naw-shush."

"I think he's adorable," Harry countered, watching him curiously. Noah made his way to Aludra's side and tilted his head, before looking up at Adelaide.

"Mine," he claimed, reaching out and patting his foot, the only part of him he could reach. Adelaide felt as if her heart was going to burst, while Lily 'awed' loudly. Sirius, Remus and James all beamed at each other.

"I think they'll get along just fine," Sirius said, "much better then Aludra and Harry."

"Don't call me Aludra!!"

-

"Happy Birthday, Sirius!"

Sirius laughed in surprise as the lights turned on, and his friends greeted him with smiles and cheers. He met Adelaide's eyes, and she just smiled and held Ryan close to her while he stared up at the ceiling quietly, blinking in confusion. He was just three weeks old and still looked confused no matter where he was.

"I thought I said I didn't want a birthday party," Sirius said with a small smile. Adelaide shrugged.

"Must not have heard you," she said slyly, "besides, you always celebrate everyone else's birthday, but we've never celebrated yours! I thought it was time for a change." She winked, and Sirius laughed at her and Aludra came running up to him with a large smile.

"Happy birthday, daddy!" she cried. He picked her up easily and she giggled happily.

"You know, Sirius," James said from his spot against the wall, "Don't you think it's odd that you, Sirius Black, rumored to have slept with every girl of age at Hogwarts-"

"That is a bold faced lie and you know it!"

"-is the only Marauder to have multiple children?" James grinned, "I just think it's a bit odd."

"Actually," Adelaide said slyly, gaining everyone's attention while Lily blushed slightly, "He isn't the only Marauder to have multiple kids." James blinked, and whirled around to look at Remus in surprise.

"Mooney! You have kids!?" Remus choked on his punch and blushed while Lily smacked her forehead with a sigh.

"No! I don't even have a girlfriend!" he coughed out. James blinked and frowned.

"What about that Miranda bird?"

"She was sleeping with ten other men," Adelaide reminded, "and Alyssa Hardrow ended up murdering her whole family; apparently she was a sociopath, not to mention schizophrenic. She got moved to a mental institution just last week." James whistled.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Wow, Mooney, you don't have much luck with women." Remus raised his eyebrows.

"Thanks' for reminding me," he said dryly.

"That isn't the point!" Lily cut in, before smiling, "To put it simply, James, I'm pregnant." James blinked before grinning.

"I'm going to have a brother!" Harry said happily, cutting of his response. James looked at Lily.

"Another boy?" he asked, and she just shrugged with a small smile.

"I don't know," she said, "but Harry wants a brother." James smiled, and Harry pouted.

"Well, I wouldn't mind a sister," he said slowly, scuffing his foot on the floor, "but what if she hates me? Most girls in my class hate me for one reason or another," Aludra coughed lightly into her fist, causing Sirius to raise his eyebrows.

"Aludra?" he asked. She laughed nervously.

"I just said that he had a rare disease and if you touched him you'd die," she said innocently, "Of course, the boys thought it was neat, but the girls are all terrified of him.

"Aludra Hope!" Adelaide scolded while Sirius held back a laugh, "Why would you do such a thing?" She shrugged.

"I was bored?" she offered. Sirius burst out laughing, and ignored Adelaide's soft glare and ruffled Aludra's hair affectionately.

"She really is my kid," he chuckled, "Hopefully she can cause all sort of mischief when she gets to Hogwarts, eh?"

"Sirius!!"

-

"We're early," Adelaide commented idly as they stared at the empty platform and the red train that gleamed in front of them, beckoning to them. Adelaide smiled softly, "I can't believe we're here again. I can't believe Ally's going to Hogwarts."

"Thank _merlin _Harry isn't in my year," Aludra said with a dramatic sigh, "I was terrified that not only would I be older then almost everyone, but I'd have to put up with _him."_

"I like Harry," Noah spoke up suddenly, his hand tightly holding on to a four-year-old Ryan, "he's fun." Aludra rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Of course you like him," she said, "you're a boy." Noah tilted his head in confusion and narrowed his eyes, trying to work that out in his head, and Sirius chuckled and wrapped his arm around Adelaide's waist and kissed her temple.

"I think she'll do just fine," he said softly, "if anyone annoys her she'll either curse them, or sucker punch them." Adelaide laughed quietly and shook her head.

"It's going to be so weird without Aludra there to wake us up in the mornings, or berate Noah."

"Too bad Harry couldn't come," Sirius said, "He would have loved to see the train, but Aster wasn't planning on going any where without a fight." They both shared smiles as they thought of Lily's three-year-old girl, who was the spitting image of Lily with her fathers hazel eyes. She was very small, and Harry spent most of his time doting on her and doing whatever she wanted him to do, which included letting her ride on his back like he was a horse (whenever Lily wasn't around, of course).

The platform was starting to fill with people, and Adelaide took Ryan into her arms and held tightly to Noah's hands. "You're going to be good for all your professors, right?" Adelaide asked, and Aludra smiled innocently.

"Well, why shouldn't I be?" she said cheerfully, "I've never been mean to a teacher in my life, right daddy?"

"Uh huh, sure," Adelaide said with a small smile, not giving Sirius a chance to respond. He held his hands out, and Aludra eyed him warily.

"Promise you won't pick me up?" she asked. He nodded, and with a smile she lunged into his arms. She shrieked, though, as he picked her up and squeezed her tightly, "Daddy! You promised!" He laughed, and she giggled as her back popped.

"I'm going to miss you," he said, and she sighed and buried her face into his neck.

"I'll miss you too, daddy," she murmured, holding back tears, "I want you to bug Harry for me until he can come to Hogwarts, okay? And make sure that Noah matches before he leaves the house, because it's embarrassing when he try's to wear his Halloween costume mixed with his normal clothes. And cuddle with Ryan for me, too, unless he's crying, then you just need to bop him on the head and he'll get real quiet; don't tell mummy I told you that, though, she doesn't know I do that." Sirius laughed and set her down, kissing her forehead.

"I promise," he said. Aludra turned to Adelaide and hugged her around the middle tightly, but it didn't last as long as her dads hug did.

"Love you, mummy," she said, "tell Aster that I say hi."

"Of course," Adelaide said softly before kneeling and kissing her forehead, "I want you to do well in school, and make sure that you write us as soon as you know where you're getting sorted, okay?"

"Mmhmm!" she agreed, "Pinky swear." Adelaide smiled and Sirius took Aludra to the train and helped her get her stuff up, and lifted her up onto the train. She smiled and kissed his cheek, "I'll see you at Christmas!"

"I look foreword to it," he said. She giggled, before pulling away and dragging her trunk down the hallway. Sirius returned to Adelaide and took Noah into his arms and they waited patiently as the students began to board the train.

-

"Okay, I can do this," Aludra said softly as she hurried down the aisle, "I just need to blend in, but where the heck am I going to sit?" she found a compartment quickly and pulled the door open, and drug her trunk after her. That was when she noticed that she had to some how get it up on the baggage rack. She groaned.

"Need some help?" two voices chorused, and she turned to see two red-headed twins looking at her with smiles. She blushed and nodded.

"Yeah, I do," she said, "I'm too short." They smiled at her and quickly grabbed the trunk and hefted it up with ease.

"There you go-,"

"I'm Fred,"

"And I'm George,"

"We're in our second year."

"Are you a first year?" George finished, and she giggled before nodding.

"Yeah," she said with a smile, before holding out her hand, "I'm Aludra, but please call me Ally."

"No problem," Fred said happily, "as long as you call me Greg,"

"and me Forge." George finished. Aludra smiled, and the twins both glanced around. "Oi, do you mind-,"

"If we sit with you?" Fred asked, "We're getting ready to leave, and we never find any good compartments like this one." Aludra nodded.

"Sure, no problem," she replied cheerfully. The twins grinned and grabbed their things before hefting them up beside her trunk. They took a seat, and Aludra glanced out the window and saw her parents. she grinned and lowered the pane and stuck herself out the window and waved. They spotted her and smiled, before waving in return.

"Those your parents?" Fred asked curiously. Aludra nodded.

"Yeah, with my brothers," she said, "Do you have any siblings?" she asked as se turned from the window slightly to ace them. She didn't see Sirius frown at Adelaide and point out the twins, while she just laughed at him and slapped his shoulder. Fred and George grinned.

"Loads of them," Fred began,

"Percy's a fourth year,"

"Real snobbish,"

"Bill graduated last year and works with Goblins in Egypt, and Charlie is in Romania working with dragons,"

"Ron is out there with Ginny, Ron's going to be a first year next year and Ginny is only nine," Fred finished. Aludra felt her eyes grow wide in amazement.

"Wow, you have a lot of siblings!" she said in awe. The twins shared identical grins, and then the compartment door opened to reveal a dark skinned boy with a large smile.

"Fred, George, who's your pal?" he asked. The twins grinned in return, and Aludra watched with interest.

"Lee, this is Aludra, who prefers to go by Ally," Fred said, "Ally, this is Lee Jordan, also a second year. I must say, though, that we have quite the reputation." Aludra smiled, and the train began to move. Fred and George helped Lee with his things, and she turned and gave a last wave to her parents, who smiled. She noticed Adelaide and Noah were crying, and Ryan was waving with a large smile.

"So, what kind of reputation do you have?" Aludra asked as her family faded from view, "Hopefully nothing too terrible." The three shared grins before turning and smiling at her.

"We, my dear friend," George said

"are pranksters," Fred finished.

"Rather good ones, if I must say so," Lee put in. Aludra grinned and closed the window before taking her seat.

"Pranksters, you say?"

-

_Dear Mum and Dad;_

_Hogwarts is awesome. Seriously. I almost fainted when I saw the castle from the lake, and then when I got to the Great Hall…wow. Why didn't you tell me it was so awesome!?_

_Anyway, I met three second years on the train, Fred and George Weasley and Lee Jordan. They're pretty cool, and it seems like we have a lot in common. Guess what? Fred and George have five other siblings! I'm glad I only have two siblings, or else I might loose my mind. Anyway, the sorting hat is pretty cool, and it debated between placing me in Gryffindor and Slytherin for a while. The conversation went along the lines of this:_

_Hat: A Black, eh? You really are a lot like a Black.  
Me: am I really? I wonder why! (note the heavy use of sarcasm. You should be proud, Dad.)  
Hat: You could be a bit more polite, I hold your future in my hands.  
Me: Wow, that sucks, 'cuz you don't have any hands! Oh merlin, I'm going to die aren't I!?  
Hat: A lot like your father, too, I see. Said the same thing when he was sorted (I thought that was pretty cool) and nothing like you mother, what a pity, such a nice girl (I wanted to hurt him when he said that. You think I'm nice, right??)  
Me: So, Mr. Thinking Cap, what is it gonna be?  
Hat: Well, you're…(I kind of faded out during this bit, so I can't say what he said about me. Sorry about that.)  
Me: ::snore::  
Hat: It's between Slytherin and Gryffindor. What do you think?  
Me: do you really have to ask Mr. Thinking Cap?  
Hat: GRYFFINDOR!!_

_So, I got placed in Gryffindor. Tah dah! I think he just did that so he could get rid of me, really. I think I started to annoy him. Anyway, Fred, George, and Lee are all in Gryffindor, so that was pretty neat. But the best part about the sorting was when people hear my last name; they all almost had a heart attack. That's what you get for living in secret for almost eleven years! Tsk, tsk._

_So, that's about it. I can't wait to see you all, I miss you already!!_

_Love,  
Ally_

_P.S. Bug Harry for me, will you? He needs to be on his toes for when he gets to Hogwarts. Why? Oh, no particular reason really…_

-

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and all things concerning belong to J.K. Rowling. I own Adelaide Black, Annalisa Bertucci, Aludra Hope Black, Ryan Sirius Black, Aster Lily Potter, and Noah Antares Black.

**A/N:** I'm BACK!!!!!! :DDDDD Earlier then I thought, too. :DDD Ah, Aludra and Harry. :D So much fun. Just wait until the next chapter. MUAHA!

Oh, and reasoning's behind the names:

Aludra (star symbolizing purity) Hope (hope for a better world)  
Ryan (Little King) Sirius (Duh)  
Noah (I watched the Notebook again) Antares (star, rival of Mars)  
Aster (flower, love and daintiness) Lily (duh).

I would like to thank **EdwardFanpire** for the name idea for Ryan. I liked so many of the suggestions, but I would google the meanings not like them. Oh, well.:D I wanted to name him Jacob, but goddamn Stephanie Meyer ruined that for me, same thing with Edward or Jasper, names I all liked before stupid Twilight came out!! (though I do like Twilight. :D)

**Song of the chapter:** "Don't trust Me" by 3OH!3, because it's actually very insightful. I mean, 'don't trust a hoe?' that's pretty deep. :P

Yours truly,  
B.E.N.

P.S.: my L.A. teachers name is Mary sue. How awesome is THAT?????? But she's a bitch, I hate her. :(

P.P.S: You know what movie I saw? "The Boy In Striped Pajamas". I cried SO FREAKING MUCH!!!! And you know what's funny? Bruno's dad is played by the guy that plays Remus in HP3-7, David Thewlis. LOL! Remus is a Nazi. Pft. The image is stuck in my head. I recognized him because of his voice, though. Lol. He does have a really soothing voice, once you think about it. :D And more on movies; in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", the guy that captures the little kids reminds me of Snape because of his nose and his greasy hair and his dislike for kids. :D


	2. Aludra's Talk

**Edelweiss**

**Chapter Two: **Aludra's "Talk"

By the end of the year, Aludra definitely had her own niche in Gryffindor carved out for her, and she quickly escalated in popularity, especially since she forged her friendship with Fred, George, and Lee. It was a rare occasion when Aludra wasn't chatting with them or helping them set up a few pranks, mostly directed towards the temperamental Filch. Of course, she managed to evade teachers almost every time, so her activities went on under her parents noses.

"So, what are you doing this summer?" Fred asked as he tore into his chocolate frog, grabbing the frog with expert precision and quickly biting off its head. Aludra shrugged as she shifted through a handful of Bertie Botts.

"Not too sure," she said idly, popping a bean into her face, before grimacing, "Ew. Ear wax. Anyway, we don't have anything major planned. Last summer we went to Greece, since Ryan is a bit easier too look after. A few friends went with us, too." She popped a handful into her mouth, and gagged, "Oh god, that was foul. I don't recommend doing that."

"Oh really?" George asked, before stealing her box and eating a handful, not paying attention to the colors or flavors. He gagged, "Oh god that _was _foul."

"Lemme try!" Fred said with a grin. Aludra burst out laughing, clutching her sides and shaking her head.

"You guys are freaks," she snorted, before grabbing back her beans and eating another handful.

"Ally!" Adelaide cried happily as Aludra left the train, followed closely by the Twins; Lee had disappeared somewhere through the crowds in the aisle.

"Mum!" Aludra called back, waving jovially and speeding up her pace. The twins shared a look, shrugged, and followed after her. She gave her mother a firm hug, before pulling away, "Where's daddy?"

"He's going to pass through soon," Adelaide said with a smile, "He's waiting for Aunt Lily and Uncle James to get here with Harry and Aster." She straightened and smiled at the twins, "You must be Fred and George. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Just for further knowledge, I'm the better looking one," Fred said with a playful smile, "George isn't as pretty." Adelaide laughed, and started slightly when Sirius put his hand on her shoulder. She smiled over her shoulder, and the twins grinned.

"Daddy!" Aludra called, before lunging into his arms and hugging him tightly.

"Hey, baby girl," he said, and Aludra tightened her grip slightly before pulling away. She saw Harry, who was staring at the train in amazement, and frowned slightly, before grinning up at James and Lily, who held Aster in her arms. Ryan stood to the side beside Sirius, and Noah was holding his hand tightly while standing firmly beside Sirius.

"Hey Aunt Lily, Uncle James," she said happily. She turned back to her dad, "Hey, I want you to meet my friends, Fred and George Weasley." Sirius straightened and eyed the two, who both smiled pleasantly back at him.

"We've heard a lot about you from Mr. Filch," George said with a grin.

"Of course, I don't think he knew we heard his mutterings whenever he'd clean up one of our pranks…" Fred trailed off with a smile and a shrug. Sirius raised his eyebrows, but there was a trace of a blush across his cheeks.

"Our legacy precedes us, Padfoot old pal," James said with a large grin as he slapped Sirius on the back, "I told Remus we'd be famous one day!" Sirius laughed.

"If only he were here," Sirius said with a sigh, "then this moment would be so very much sweeter."

"And now it goes to their heads," Adelaide murmured to Lily, who nodded. Aster smiled.

"Aunt Addy!" she said happily. Adelaide smiled and ran her fingers through her long mane of red hair.

"Hey, Aster!" Adelaide cooed, "How are you?"

"Good, good, good," she said quickly, nodding her head. Adelaide kept smiling before turning and picking up Ryan, and Noah hugged Aludra tightly around the middle, his face buried into her middle.

"I missed you," he murmured, his grip tightening. Aludra blushed, and gently rubbed his back.

"Yeah, I missed you too," she said affectionately. She turned and grinned slightly at the twins, but as she opened her mouth to speak she was cut off by a plump woman hurrying over followed by three children, one of which was rather tall and had his nose buried into a book, and greeted the twins with a large hug.

"There you are!" She chastised, "Had me worried to death, looking all over the station! It's good to have you home." The twins both grinned at her as she pulled away.

"You won't be saying that in a week," George kidded, and the woman gently slapped his shoulder.

"Don't be silly!" she chastised, before turning to Adelaide and smiling warmly, "I'm Molly Weasley, Fred and George's mum." Adelaide held out her hand and shook it firmly with a polite smile.

"Adelaide Black," she responded. Molly started slightly, causing the twins too roll their eyes behind her back, which caused Aludra to giggle softly.

"Pleasure to meet you," Molly said after regaining herself, "Just haven't heard that name in so long, it was a bit of a surprise." Aludra grinned up at her parents.

"I told you," she whispered softly, and Sirius just waved her off with a poorly-hidden grin. Harry stuck his tongue out at Aludra as their gazes met, and she returned the gesture. Harry pulled down on the skin under his eyes, and she pulled her ears away from her head, screwed her eyes shut, and stuck out her tongue.

"Harry! Aludra! That's enough!" Sirius said, placing his hands firmly on the top of their heads, "or we will be forced to lock you both in the bathroom until you get along!" Aludra huffed lightly and moved to turn away, but Noah was still firmly attached to her waste. She groaned softly, but otherwise made no move to remove him.

"Mummy," a small red-headed girl said to Molly and tugged gently on her shirt, "Ron's run off again."

"Oh, no!" Molly groaned, before smiling apologetically, "I'm afraid I have to go. Fred, George, come on!" she motioned to the twins vaguely, and they grinned.

"Coming mother!" they chorused, before waving to the others and hurrying off after her. Sirius shook his head with a slight grin.

"You have weird friends," he commented idly. Aludra glared slightly.

"They're no weirder then you were when you were a teenager," Adelaide defended with a small smile before returning her attention back to Aludra, "Did you meet anyone interesting at Hogwarts?"

"Actually, yes," Aludra responded, and the group began to make their way back towards the barrier, Noah finally detaching himself and moving to instead hold her hand, "She was in her seventh year and a Hufflepuff so I didn't see much of her, but she was pretty cool. Even cooler since she's my second cousin." Sirius and Adelaide both raised their eyebrows.

"Really? Who?" Sirius asked with interest.

"Her full name is Nymphadora Tonks, but she prefers to go by Tonks, like I prefer to go by Ally," Aludra sent a look to her parents, and James and Lily chuckled softly.

"I think you have a lovely name," Adelaide murmured under her breath, Sirius nodding in agreement. Aludra rolled her eyebrows.

"I sound like I should be eighty years old, not eleven!" she complained, "Ally sounds much more youthful the _Aludra." _She scrunched up her nose slightly. Adelaide grumbled softly and shifted Ryan slightly on her hip.

"I chose it because I liked the meaning," she murmured, "That, and I also thought of nicknames, and I loved Ally, so I thought it would fit." Aludra frowned slightly, and the conversation was put on hold as they traveled through the barrier.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so snobby," she apologized when they were all on the other side. Adelaide sent her a small smile, but otherwise didn't say a thing as they continued through the station. Aludra kept frowning, but attempted to go on with the conversation, "Anyway, she said her mum though that dad was her favorite cousin."

"That's because I'm the only one who liked her husband," Sirius said with a shrug, "She married a muggle-born, so she got disowned. It doesn't help that her sister is Bellatrix." He scrunched up his nose slightly, and Adelaide shivered as she remembered the fates of Frank and Alice Longbottom.

"Ah, I remember dear old Bellatrix," James said sarcastically, "She was a few straws short of a broomstick."

"Still is," Lily quipped as she attempted to untangle Aster's hand from her hair, but Aster thought of it as a game and kept giggling and maneuvering away from her hand, "Of course, she's been in Azkaban for ten years now; there's no way she's still sane."

"True, very true," Sirius added. Harry, Aludra, and Noah all shared identical looks of confusion; they didn't know who Bellatrix was other then that she was a relative who was currently located in Azkaban.

"Anyway," Aludra said quickly in attempt to bring the conversation back to a place that she understood, "She got accepted for Auror training. According to Rumors, she's going to be placed under the tutelage of Alastor Moody."

"The poor girl," Sirius said while James nodded in agreement, "As brilliant as Moody may be, he's a bit off his rocker." Aludra rolled her eyes and began to swing her arms back and forth, causing Noah to giggle and swing his arms in time with hers. They shared their goodbyes as they neared the parking lot, and broke off. The Potter's headed toward their own car, while the Blacks piled in too their own black 1990 Cadillac Fleetwood. Sirius grinned as he got behind the wheel, prompting Adelaide to shake her head as she bucked Ryan in the back.

"You're such a child," she said, before closing the door and hopping in the front, "First your motorcycle, now this."

"You're the one who thought we needed to get Licenses," he said with a shrug and a smile, "So I might as well have gotten a motorcycle license while I was at it." Adelaide rolled her eyes slightly, and Sirius continued without noticing, "But this isn't my baby, not nearly as awesome as my baby." Adelaide laughed and shook her head before supporting her head with her palm. Three years previously, she had gotten Sirius a cherry red 1958 Aston Martin DBR 2. He never called it by name unless asked for the model, and referred to it as 'his baby' more then often.

"If I didn't know better, I would think you loved this car more then me," Adelaide joked dryly and rolled her eyes.

"You're eyes are going to get stuck like that," he quipped, "And of course not! You're the one that got me the car." He grinned cheekily and ignored her as she smacked his shoulder, "Now, no more hitting the driver unless we want to crash. That also means no crying, no backseat driving, no annoying, no pestering, and anything else I might add along the way. Got it?"

"Yes sir!" Aludra and Noah chorused, mock-saluting him. Ryan just got out a 'sir!' and a very half-hearted salute. Sirius laughed and they pulled out of the parking lot. Fifteen minutes later…

"Dad, you're going over the speed limit! It says fifty! You're going fifty-five! You gotta slow down, we're going to crash!"

"Noah!! I said no backseat driving!"

"But you're breaking the law! That's illegal! You can't do that! You gotta slow down! Da-ad!"

"If I slow down, then the person behind us is going to crash into us,"

"But you're breaking the law!!"

"_Breaking the law, breaking the law!" _

"Adelaide, stop singing!...I mean…I love you?"

"Uh huh, right."

-

Aludra watched Harry, who had just arrived just ten minutes ago, with interest as he sat at their kitchen table, his eyes wide. He looked thoroughly traumatized. She absently stirred her cereal, before taking a bite, "What's got you looking so glum, Potter ol' pal?" He looked up at her, and for a moment she felt some pity for him. But only a moment.

"I walked in on my parents this morning," he said, "They were…being _intimate_." Aludra snorted into her cereal, causing milk to shoot out of her nose. Harry stared incredulously at her as she whipped away the milk with her napkin, and continued to laugh.

"Is that it?" she asked. He nodded, and she began laughing quietly for a moment before she gathered herself slightly, "Was that the first time this has happened?" Harry nodded, and Aludra sighed slightly, though she kept smiling, "You should count yourself lucky."

"Why do you say that?" Harry groaned, burying his head into his arms. She raised an eyebrow.

"What position were they in?" Harry began coughing violently as he chocked on his spit, and stared at her in horror.

"Why do you want to know!?" he asked. Aludra glared slightly.

"So I know if you're being overly dramatic!" she snapped. Harry furrowed his eyebrows slightly, and looked confused.

"There are other…positions?" he asked, though he looked as if he had smelled something. Aludra nodded in a 'no duh' manner, but decided to be nice and simplify it for him.

"Well, was your dad on top?" she asked delicately, though by the twitching of her lip, he knew that she was bound to burst out laughing. He nodded, and she seemed to agree on something in her mind, "Then you have it easy."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry demanded, "I saw my parents _naked! _Having _sex! _Do you even know how _traumatized _I am right now?" Aludra raised her eyebrows slightly.

"Consider yourself lucky," she said, pointing her spoon at him, "The first time I walked in on my parents having sex-,"

"The first time!? As in, the first of many times?!"

"Yes, now shut up. Anyway, the first time I walked in on them having sex was when I was five. I had been upstairs drawing, and I came downstairs to see mum's front covered in dad's birthday cake, leg hiked up on the counter, and dad was behind her." Harry looked like he would never be able to look at them the same ever again. Aludra grinned at his misfortune, "The second time was when I was seven and I walked into Noah's room to see if he was asleep, and dad had mum pressed up against a wall. Noah was downstairs, thank goodness, but I wasn't so lucky. The fifth time I walked in on them-,"

"Fifth!? Oh, god, don't tell me, I don't wanna know!!!"

"- they were 'experimenting' in the bedroom and I had gone in to ask them if they knew where my toy was-,"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Harry screamed, blocking his ears, "I can't hear you! Lalalalalalala!!"

"What on earth is going on here?" Adelaide asked in confusion as she entered the kitchen and Sirius trailing behind her, his hand resting on her hip and looking satisfied. Harry groaned and buried his head into his arms; he had seen the dark spots along Sirius' collar, revealed by his mostly unbuttoned and lopsided shirt, "You're _old! _You shouldn't be doing that!!!" Adelaide raised her eyebrows and her face turned pink, while Sirius looked confused for a moment.

"I am most certainly not 'old'! I'm only 32!" he protested, and then his mind caught up with what Harry had said, and his ears turned pink, "What on earth…Aludra!"

"I didn't do a thing," she said innocently, before getting up and placing her bowl in the sink, "He walked in on Aunt Lily and Uncle James going at it like a pair of jackrabbits." Sirius blinked.

"Well it can't have been that bad," he said with a shrug, "What position were they in?"

"Oh god, not you too!!" Harry groaned and stood, "I'm going to hang out with Noah! He's the only sane one in this house!" Aludra snickered as he made his way towards the living room.

"He's walked in on them too!" she yelled at him, bursting out into peals of laughter when he screamed in aggravation.

The rest of the night was slightly awkward to say the least, and in the morning they received their Hogwarts letters, which prompted them to visit Diagon Alley. Harry was amazed (because even though he was now known as alive and allowed to roam the Wizarding world, they didn't make many ventures to public places) by all the things, and managed to persuade Adelaide to buy them all ice cream from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.

It was when they passed by the entrance to Knockturn Alley that Sirius and Adelaide ran into a familiar face.

"Hagrid!" Sirius greeted jovially, waving as the half-giant exited the dreary Alley, "What are you doing in Knockturn Alley?" Hagrid smiled, but you could barely tell under the wirey mess known as his beard.

"Well, I 'ad to stock up on flesh-eatin' slug repellant," he said, "they always en' up breedin' over the summer. 'Ow 'ave you two been? I 'aven't seen you in ages!"

"Well, you're bound to see more of us now," Sirius said with a grin, "Since Aludra's going to Hogwarts now, We're going to have to stop by Diagon Alley every year, meaning we'll more then likely run in to each other."

"S'you two 'ave four kids?" Hagrid questioned, though he looked slightly confused, "I thought Dumbledore said you only 'as three."

"Oh, Harry isn't ours!" Adelaide corrected pleasantly. Hagrid's eyes widened, and he nodded in understanding.

"Ah, I see. Sorry 'bout that," he winked obviously, causing Adelaide to giggle. She looked over at the kids and frowned.

"Well, where are your manners? Say hello!" she said good-naturedly. Aludra smiled up at him while the others greeted him with a simple 'hello'.

"Hello, Hagrid. How has your summer been going?" she asked pleasantly. Hagrid raised his eyebrows and sent her a look.

"Better, now'at I don' 'ave to watch out for one o' you're pranks," he said, though he didn't sound at all upset, "You and those twins'll be the death o' me. Though, I think Filch'll pro'ly break 'fore I do," he winked at her, and didn't realize how Adelaide looked at Aludra with a 'we'll talk later' expression clear across her face. Aludra kept up her pleasant expression. Hagrid straightened slightly, and glanced at his watch.

"Well, I best be off," he said, "It was a pleasure seein' you again, Sirius, Adelaide." The two said their goodbyes, and when he was out of earshot Adelaide turned to Aludra and raised her eyebrows.

"Well, what are these pranks that Hagrid's talking about?" She asked. Sirius rolled his eyes and gently patted Adelaide's shoulder.

"We haven't gotten any letters home," he reasoned, "They musn't be anything too terrible or McGonagall would have sent us some sort of letter." Adelaide seemed to accept his reasoning, and dropped the subject. Aludra felt relief go through her and her smile returned. Adelaide turned to Harry.

"I think we got everything," she said happily, "And that means we get to get you a birthday present!"

"But my birthday is five days away," Harry said. Sirius rolled his eyes, while Noah looked at him as if he were insane.

"So? Early birthday presents are the best," he said, as if it were obvious. Harry grinned and followed them eagerly.

It was still early when they left Diagon Alley with Harry's new pet, a snowy owl named Hedwig in tow. Ryan hummed happily and skipped beside Noah, who seemed completely enthralled by the snowy owl, who stared unblinkingly at him.

"Hedwig's a Stupid name," Aludra said with a sniff as they went through the arch.

"No it isn't! Stop being mean!" Harry snapped. Adelaide rolled her eyes.

"Harry, we're going to drop you off at your parents," she said, breaking in before a full-out fight could occur, "It's getting late."

"Yes ma'am," he murmured. Adelaide raised her eyebrows before ruffling his hair and picking up Ryan with a grunt.

"When did you get so big?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair, "I remember when you were the size of a peanut!" Ryan giggled.

"I wasn't the size of a peanut," he denied with a smile, "That's impossible!" Sirius and Adelaide laughed and she gently kissed his cheek, before setting him down again and exiting the Leaky Cauldron and heading towards the car.

"I get to drive," Adelaide said, and Sirius shook his head with a grin.

"Not if I get there first!" He called, before taking off. Unfortunately, Adelaide had expected this and took off as fast as she could. She reached the door a second before him, and he playfully began to push her out of the way while she fumbled with the keys.

"No, I wanna drive!" he whined, and she shook her head while she tried to contain her laughter.

"No! You always get to drive!" she said as she continued to fight for the right to drive. Aludra and Noah both rolled their eyes.

"and they tell us to be mature," Noah murmured, causing Ryan to giggle again.

-

"We're going to be late!" Lily called as she tugged Harry, James, and Aster through the barrier after the Blacks, who were just steps ahead of her. She weaved through the crowds with ease and Harry had difficulties doing the same with his trolly.

"Oh my god, I hope Fred and George save a seat for me," Aludra groaned, "This is going to be hell."

"Aludra! Watch your language!" Adelaide snapped half-heartedly. Adelaide waved politely as they passed by Molly, who was also herding most of her kids onto the train. They quickly followed her example, and helped the kids get up.

"Make sure you write at least every week," Lily told Harry as she straightened his hair, "and don't let anything people say about you get to you; just ignore anyone and everyone. Don't let all the attention go to your head, and if they stare at your scar just brush them off."

"Or punch them in the face," James put in. Lily shook her head quickly.

"No, no, no, don't punch anyone!" she said.

"Just don't get caught," James added softly, causing Harry to grin. Lily didn't hear, so she couldn't chastise him.

"I'll miss you daddy," Aludra murmured into Sirius' hair as he gave her one last hug, "It's okay that I still call you daddy even though I'm almost 12, right?" Sirius smiled as they pulled away.

"You can call me daddy as long as you want," he said, brushing some of her hair out of her face, "I know you don't want to do it, but I want you to help Harry out. You know it's going to be hard on him because of his scar." Aludra sighed, and nodded.

"I'll stick up for him," she promised. The trains whistle went off. She gave Adelaide a quick hug and kiss, "I love you! Bye Noah, bye Ryan!"

"Bye!" the two chorused, waving. Adelaide fought back tears again and Sirius put a comforting arm around her waist.

"Bye, bye, bye Harry!" Aster called as the train began to move, "Bye, bye, bye Aludra!"

Aludra let out a breath as the door closed, and she looked over at Harry, "You try and find a compartment, okay? If you can't I'll be with Fred and George. You remember them, right?"

"Yeah," Harry said, "Thanks." Aludra snorted.

"Don't get used to it," she murmured before pushing past him and heading down the hallway, looking in every door. She smiled happily as she found the twins luggage and slipped into the compartment too be greeted by Lee.

"Hey, Ally," Lee greeted, "How has your summer been?"

"Great," she replied happily. They chatted smoothly for a few minutes, when the door finally opened and the twins made their way inside. Aludra smiled up at them, "Where were you guys?"

"Ran into your cousin Harry," Fred said, "Helped him get his trunk up."

"Seemed like an alright guy," George added and they took their seats, "a bit peaky looking though. Must be pretty nervous." Adelaide snickered.

"He doesn't know how you get sorted," she said, "He never bothered to ask before, and now it's coming back to haunt him. I had the sense to ask mum and dad what happened for sorting long before I went to Hogwarts last year." George and Fred nodded.

"We wondered why you were so laid back," Lee said.

"Most first years look like they're going to wet themselves," Fred put in. Aludra snorted, and shook her head. She grinned at them and took some Bertie Botts from her pocket.

"So, have you got any more plans for this year?" she asked. The three shared looks with small grins.

"As a matter of fact…"

-

'_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_I miss you guys again. No matter how many times I end up boarding the Hogwarts Express, I know that I'm going to miss you. Even when it gets to my seventh year I'll miss you._

_OK, that's all you guys are getting out of me. Now it's back to good ole sarcastic me. You should be ecstatic. So, the sorting went well. Harry got placed into Gryffindor, though he looked a bit confused. He's apparently made quick friends with Ron, Fred and George's little brother, who is also a Gryffindor._

_We got a new Defense teacher, Professor Quirrell. He looks to be a complete mess! He's always shaking, or something, and Professor Snape obviously doesn't like him (though I don't think he really likes anyone). According to Fred and George his hides garlic under his turban to ward off a vampire he met that held a grudge against him, or something. It's really messed with him, you can tell. I kind of feel sorry for him._

_Tell Noah I say hi and and cuddle Ryan some for me._

_Love,_

_Ally_

_-_

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_Hogwarts is amazing. The castle is so big, and you can feel the magic radiating off of the whole place. And that's just the outside. The inside is brilliant, especially the Great Hall._

_Anyway, I met Ron Weasley on the train (You remember Fred and George, Aludra's friends? He's their little brother) and we both got sorted into Gryffindor. I think we're going to be good friends. We seem to have a lot in common, including our love for Quidditch._

_One thing did bug me though. The sorting hat mentioned that I would do well in Slytherin, and I'm not sure how I should take that. But don't worry too much, I'm sure everything will be fine; he's just a hat after all._

_I'll tell you more as soon as I find out._

_Harry_

-

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and all things concerning belong to J.K. Rowling. I own Adelaide Black, Annalisa Bertucci, Aludra Hope Black, Ryan Sirius Black, and Noah Antares Black.

**A/N:** There you have it! Chapter Two!! You know something funny? Aster can't have a nickname, because it'd end up being "Stir", "Er", "Ah", or "Ass". How awesome would that be!? "Hey Ass, come here!" LOL. I love that George was all "ORLY?" in the beginning. :D **ANYWAY** I got a favor to ask you. Can you tell me your top five characters in this story? I wanna know just out of curiosity. :D And what did you think of my little joke? "She's a few straws short of a broomstick". That was actually really hard to come up with, lol. And the car ride was really fun to write. It made me smile, cuz I used to pester my mom like Noah's doing. That and whenever anyone says 'breaking the law' I break out into Judas Priest. :D Have you guys ever heard of the term 'off your rocker' before? Because my friends hadn't. It made me feel old, even though I'm not! I think you know who Aludra takes after the most, lol. :D (WOW that was some rambling.)

**Song(s) of the Chapter: **"Breaking the Law" by Judas Priest. _"Breaking the law, Breaking the law!" _Bet you could guess that one, couldn't you?? Gotta love it. And then, "Fight For Your Right To Party" by the Beastie Boys, inspired when Adelaide and Sirius were fighting over the right to drive. And Also, "Bye, Bye, bye" by NSync (a guilty pleasure). I love NSync and the Backstreet Boys (you know, from the 90s and early 2000s?)

Yours truly,  
B.E.N.

P.S: I want to play a game. (lol). I want you all to guess what chapter Annalisa's going to make her first appearance in, from 3 to 17 (17 is the estimated length of the story so far). Have fun! If you win you get a cookie!! YAY COOKIES!!!

P.P.S: OK, I would like to thank **Girlkitsune**, because she drew a picture of what she picture Annalisa as and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!! Go check it out!! Just search for 'Annalisa Bertucci' at Deviantart, and it's the only option. (That means my name is uni-q. Lol.) I would also like to thank **Naflower05**, who has reviewed since the very, very beginning, **ktpotter93**, who's also stuck with me for a while, **Midnight Lean**, who ALSO stuck with me for a while, and **Fred-Weasley-Isn't-Dead** for entertaining me with our list of people who names involve alliteration (ex: Severus Snape (Snape, Snape, Severus Snape, Dumbeldore!)). This is the last Post script, for real! _**If I didn't mention you, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate you, cuz I love you all, these people I just remember most because I've replied to them some or they really made me laugh. I LOVE EVERYONE EQUALLY!!!!!! :D**_


	3. Wounded

**Edelweiss**

**Chapter Three: **Wounded

**Please read the A/N at the bottom of the chapter (or at least the first paragraph). Thank You.**

Aludra was bored; no, bored didn't even begin to cover what she was experiencing. She wanted to rip her hair out, just because it was something to do. She sat in her second period class, yearning for the bell to ring and dismiss her to lunch. She felt as if her stomach was going to eat her liver, and she blamed the Weasley's who made her help them set up another prank for an unsuspecting Filch instead of letting her enjoy breakfast. Binns was droning on and on, and Aludra was about to yank her hair out; she found history fascinating, but Binns had no personality!

_'If I'm a ghost, then I want to have a personality,'_ she thought, before grinning slightly, _'like Peeves!'_

Then the bell rang, and she dashed into the Great Hall and snagged the first seat she could. She piled her plate with food, and was about to take her first bite when she heard the 'thump' of someone setting down, and lifted her eyes to see Harry and Ron setting down, faces slightly flushed and their eyes narrowed.

"What's wrong with you two?" she asked. Ron spoke up first.

"Professor Snape is possibly the most foul, evil git to have ever existed on this earth," Harry said angrily. Aludra raised her eyebrows, and chuckled.

"Maybe I should have warned you," she said with a shrug, "Sorry." She blinked, and when she opened her eyes she heard two thumps and saw two familiar red-heads take their seats on either side of her with identical grins.

"He fell for it,"

"Didn't seem to pleased,"

"Got ourselves a detention," Fred finished before swiping some of her food. She groaned.

"I didn't have breakfast," she said, "Why do you have to go and steal my food?" Fred just grinned while George piled food onto his plate.

"We missed breakfast too, you know," George said, before digging in. Aludra rolled her eyes and averted her attention back to Harry and Ron.

"So, how have you liked classes so far?" She asked, "everything going well? Anyone I need to beat up? Aside from Harry?" Ron laughed, while Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head at her.

"No, besides, if you tried to beat me up Adelaide and Sirius would ground you fasted then you could say 'Oops'." He reasoned, "and I don't need you to stick up for me, I can do it perfectly well on my own, thank you." They returned to their lunches, and Aludra snickered. She opened her mouth to retaliate, when a soft voice interrupted her.

"Aludra?" a girl whispered shyly. Aludra turned and spotted a second year girl in Slytherin with curly black hair and sparkling black eyes. Her skin was tanned and she was very small and it looked as if she would crumble if you squeezed her too tightly.

"Yeah?" she asked. The girl shifted her weight.

"Um, I was wondering if you could help me with my transfiguration homework," she murmured, "I mean, you don't have to, but I really need to pass, and I don't know anyone who would help, and-,"

"Calm down, first of all," Aludra cut in, "Don't give yourself a heart attack. Second off, do I know you?" The girl turned a vibrant red and shifted awkwardly.

"U-um, I'm Caralise Mulciber-,"

"Didn't my dad put your dad in jail?" Aludra blurted suddenly, and her eyes narrowed, "fuck off-,"

"Ally!" Harry said in shock, but she ignored him.

"-I don't need any miniature death eaters following me around." Aludra turned without a second thought and returned to her meal, while tears built up in the girls eyes before she ran out of the hall. Fred and George both shared slightly wary looks.

"Don't you think that was kind of harsh?" Fred asked.

"She was just asking for help," George put in, "and if she was like her father then she would have rather eaten her shoe then spoken civilly to a Gryffindor." Aludra looked at them incredulously.

"You're siding with her?" she asked. The twins nodded, and Ron and Harry also agreed silently, "Why? She's a Slytherin! No one good comes out of Slytherin."

"Tonks' mum was in Slytherin, and she married a muggle-born," Fred pointed out, "she seems like a good person."

"You're a Black," Harry added, "You should know about prejudice's more then anyone." Aludra stared at everyone with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Since when have you decided to preach about fairness and all that mumbo jumbo?" she asked angrily, "You've pranked plenty of Slytherins!"

"They all deserved it," George defended, "she was asking you for help."

All the sudden, Aludra didn't feel so hungry anymore. She stood up, murmured a vague excuse, before leaving the hall and ignoring their calls. She hurried towards the stairs, only to trip over the same girl, who had taken a seat on the floor and curled up, pressing her face into her knees. Aludra froze, before taking a seat beside her and crossing her legs. They were completely silent for a good ten minutes.

"I'm sorry," Aludra finally said, "Not just for tripping over you, but for what I said in the great hall. I didn't really listen to you, and I judged you when I didn't have any right to." The girl sniffled and shrugged. Aludra sighed and banged her head gently against the wall, "Look, if you still want help with that transfiguration-."

"Fuck off," the girl murmured angrily, "I don't want a bitch following me around." Aludra's heart stopped beating for a moment, and all her instincts screamed at her to retaliate angrily, to make the girl wish she had never said that.

Instead, she stood up and walked away with an almost unbearable heat building behind her face, and her eyes stinging as she attempted to stop herself from crying.

The days following Aludra's outburst was very awkward, especially since Harry knew he should attempt to comfort her despite their dislike for each other. She acted the same as always, but there was a very distant tone to her eyes and she never really focused on any of their conversation. Fred and George didn't even try to ask her to pull pranks with them, and she didn't seem to mind. She actually seemed too distracted to even think of doing anything other then wallowing in self pity.

All that was erased from his mind, though, when the twelfth rolled around and Gryffindor's had their first flying lessons with the Slytherin's. Of course, Harry already knew how to fly (with James as a father and Sirius as a godfather, it would have been a miracle if he didn't) but he didn't have his own broom, a Silver Arrow, a brand that was becoming increasingly rare to find, and he was slightly nervous about using a school broom. His nerves were heightened when he spotted the quality of the brooms.

"Oh merlin, I'm going to die," he murmured. Ron laughed and slapped him on the back.

"You're over reacting," he said, "They'll work just fine."

Madame Hooch was a no-nonsense woman, and as she barked out instructions everyone felt obligated to follow them with the fear of getting expelled firm in their minds. Harry hadn't planned on breaking those rules. He hadn't planned on Neville breaking his wrist. He hadn't planned on mounting a broom and flying after Neville's Remembrall because of that git Malfoy, and he definately hadn't planned to get caught by McGonagall either.

To say he was in trouble was a very, very big understatement.

-

"It's so quiet," Lily whispered. Adelaide nodded, while James, Sirius, and Remus all murmured very quiet responses. They were at the Potters in Godrics Hallow, and Noah and Aster were passed out on the floor in front of the hearthwhile Ryan had snuggled up with a pillow that had been tossed onto the floor. The silent was very odd, since just minutes previously Noah and Aster had gotten into a very vocal argument over something (they had already forgotten what) and suddenly, there was silence.

"It is rather queer," Remus put in after a pause, "hanging out with you, I would have expected there to be more noise." They all snickered, and Adelaide let out a content sigh before leaning against Sirius.

"We haven't gotten any letters home," she murmured, "that's a good sign, right?"

"No news is good news," Remus recited, "well, when it comes to school." Lily let her head fall back and she stared up at the ceiling.

"I don't know what to do," she said, "I'm so used to noise, that the quiet is unsettling." Adelaide and Sirius both murmured their agreements. Adelaide glanced at the time and sighed.

"I wonder what the kids are doing," she mused. Sirius shrugged.

"I think the first years have flying practice," he said, "at least, I think that's what Ally said."

"Have you noticed something off with her letters?" Adelaide asked suddenly, "She's not nearly as sarcastic as she used to be. She really sounds like she's a robot."

"Harry said that she got hit with a dose of reality," James out in, "His words, not mine."

"Elaborate, please," Adelaide asked.

"Well, he said that she was rude to another second year and when they all sided against her, she left the hall. They don't know what happened, but according to Harry she hasn't even tried to harass him." Adelaide and Sirius shared concerned looks.

"Should we ask her what's wrong?" Adelaide asked, worrying her lip, "I don't think she'll tell us on her own. She's always been very independent." No one answered, though, because at that moment a barn owl swooped in, dropped a letter in James' lap, and flew off without a second glance. James raised his eyebrows, before opening the letter.

"It's from McGonagall," he said, and the others straightened.

"What's it say?" Lily asked. James began to read aloud:

_"Dear Lily and James Potter, _wow, she's being rather formal isn't she?"

"Just read," Lily snapped. James shrugged, and continued:

_"During flying practice today, Harry performed some marvelous feats in an attempt to return Neville Longbottoms Remembrallto safety after a fellow student threw it towards the forest. With your permission, I would like to haveHarry become the teams Seeker. Though it is a rarity that we give a first year a chance to play Quidditch, I think it would be best if you let him begin as early as possible. That, and with Harry on the team we will most definitely bring home the Quidditch cup. _This is amazing!" James blurted excitedly, "She wants Harry to be the teams seeker!"

"That's great!" Sirius said with a grin, "Wish Ally could have tried out…"

"It's dangerous!" Lily protested with a shake of her head, "He could get serious injuries!"

"How can he injure me?" Sirius asked, and everyone ignored him to his chagrin. Adelaide patted his shoulder, though, and rolled her eyes slightly before murmuring,

"You're loosing your touch, dear, best quit while you're ahead." Remus snickered, but James and Lily continued to debate.

"That's a risk all Quidditch players take," James reasoned, "Sirius and I were on the team and we turned out fine." Lily worried her lip, and concentrated on the letter in his hands. James took a shot, "Harry really loves Quidditch. He would want to play." Lily groaned, and everyone knew that James had won.

"Fine," Lily agreed, "he can join the team." James and Sirius shared a high-five with shouts of 'yes' while Adelaide and Remus both rolled their eyes. James glanced back at the letter, before he jerked in surprise.

"I think McGonagall is my favorite professor," he said, "She already got him a broom, a Nimbus 2000!"

"What? Are you serious?" Lily asked. Sirius opened his mouth, but with a look from Adelaide and Remus, he closed it and leaned over to look at the letter.

"Yeah, it's right here in the post script," James said, pointing to the letter, _"Since I expect you to say yes, I've already taken the liberty of purchasing a new broom, a Nimbus 2000. _Short and too the point, exactly like McGonagall!" Lily shook her head.

"We're paying her-,"

"Nope, she mentioned that in the post script too," Adelaide said idly, pointing at the corner of the letter, "Try again." Lily groaned.

"We have to repay her some how!" she groaned.

"I think having Harry play will be enough for her," Remus ventured, "she thinks that he's a gift from god, is he's as amazing as we think he is." The others laughed, and Lily frowned slightly in an attempt to keep down her smile, but it didn't work and she let a small smile slip onto her face.

-

Harry never really knew how much he hated Draco Malfoy until he tried to get them caught by Filch, and indirectly sent them into the jaws of a vicious three-headed dog.

"Why on earth would they have a thing like that in a school!?" Ron asked in an angry whisper as they hurried to the common room. Hermione Granger, a fellow first year with bushy brown hair, rolled her eyes.

"That's why Dumbledore said the third floor corridor was forbidden," she reasoned, "besides, didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"I was a bit preoccupied with it's heads!" Harry said breathlessly, while Neville and Ron nodded in agreement. Hermione rolled her eyes again.

"It was standing on a trap door," she explained, "he was guarding something."

"What would Dumbledoreneed to guard?" Neville asked anxiously as they stumbled into the common room, pausing only to give the portrait the password. Hermione sighed.

"I don't know, but I do know one thing," she said. They boys half expected her to say something about the door, about what might be hiding under it, but they were sorely disappointed, "I'm going to bed, before you get us killed. Or worse, expelled." She stormed back to the girls dormitories, and the boys shared looks.

"She needs to get her priorities straight," Ron said, and both Neville and Harry agreed.

-

There were no lights on outside as Lucius Malfoy made his way down his large and ornate staircase. He was in a sour mood now, because he had been almost asleep when the houses alarm sounded, alerting him to another presence on the property. He waited patiently at the door, his mind idly traveling to how Draco was faring, when there was a thunderous knocking at the door. He strolled foreword as dignified as he could dressed in his pajamas, and pulled open the door. His eyebrows rose.

"Hello, Bertucci," he drawled, "I hope you have a reason for dropping in when all reasonable people would be asleep."

"It's only eleven o'clock," she said sharply with no traces of humor in her voice, "Suck it up." Lucius immediately knew something was wrong and he stepped aside, allowing her to enter. She was wearing a teal blue dress underneath a large black cape, and the hood hid her features from her face. Lucius closed the door behind her and leaned against it idly while she turned to face him again, before lowering her hood. He resisted the urge to gap.

Even he had to admit that Annalisa had once been a very beautiful woman, but right now he would have thought her to have just escaped from Azkaban itself. Her hair hung limply around her pale and sunken face, dark bags prominent under her eyes and he could see her collar bone as clear as day. Shadows stretchedmenacingly across her face and curved along the hallows of her cheeks. A series of small faint scars littered her neck and the right side of her face in a nonsensical pattern, all marks pale and faded from age and of varying lengths, the longest located along her jawline and stretching from her ear to her chin.

"What on earth happened to you?" he asked, and he began to grow irritated, "I haven't heard of you in almost five years, and when I do you have scars and look as if you've been placed under the cruciatus-."

"I know I look like shit," she snapped, before softening, "I'm sorry for dropping in on you. How is Narcissa? And Draco?"

"Narcissais fine, and Draco is at Hogwarts," he said witha small wave of his hand, "What are you doing here?"

"I need a favor," she said honestly, "You have connections in the ministry, right?" Lucius nodded hesitantly, "I need you to get Austin out of Azkaban." His eyebrows rose higher then she thought possible, and he laughed as he shook his head.

"You think that they trust me enough to get a death eater out of Azkaban?" he asked, "Remember, Annalisa dear, that I was also a death eater. They have no reason to release him simply because I asked for it. How-"

"Bribe someone, I don't care how you do it!" she snapped, "I'vebeen raising three children on my own for the past five years!" she softened again and groaned as she ran her hands down her face, "Look, I'm sorry, but you're the only one I can trust! You've helped me so much since I graduated-," she choked off suddenly and wiped furiously at her eyes, before continuing, "a-and you have always understood me more th-then any of the other death eaters; you know where I'm coming from! You actually love your family!"

"My love for my family has nothing to do with this," Lucius said, "You want me to help because I helped you before, and that was only because I could tell that by living that life you were driving yourself to insanity, and the Dark Lord has no use-!"

"Shut up," she groaned, throwing her hands up in the air with a laugh. She glared suddenly and pointed a long, thin finger at him, "you know that he has plenty of use for nutcases. Look at Bella, she's about as crazy as you get! The less sanity someone clings to, the more they will be willing to do." Lucius was silent, mainly because he knew that she was right. Annalisa saw this, and she sunk to the floor in a heap, tears spilling down her face.

"Annalisa…"

_"Look at me, Lucius!"_ she cried, "I'm horrendous! I haven't eaten a full meal in months, I've been trying to take care of a four year old and a nine year old, while the ministry has decided that I'm a terrible mother and are threatening to take my kids away! Just because I was a death eater! I can't even take the time to _try_ and look good because the person I want to look good _for_ is imprisoned!" she sobbed, and Lucius hesitantly helped her to her feet and sat her on the couch.

"Calm down, Annalisa," he said stoically. She sniffed, and her breath caught several times, but otherwise her tears stopped, "I'll do what I can. I can't promise you anything, so do not get your hopes up. I will try and get him out, but more then likely it will not work. There are many people who want him imprisoned for the rest of his life." Annalisalooked at him withslightly brighter eyes, and she let out a shaky breath and hiccupped softly.

"Th-thank you," she whispered, before the tears spilled over, "Thank y-you so much." Lucius grimaced slightly, but nodded.

"You need to leave before Narcissa realizes you're here," he cautioned, "She's never been fond of you." She stood and made her way to the door in silence. The door opened smoothly and silently, and it was only then that she turned and offered him a jagged smile.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not very fond of myself either."

-

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and all things concerning belong to J.K. Rowling. I own Adelaide Black, Annalisa Bertucci, Aludra Hope Black, Ryan Sirius Black, Aster Lily Potter, and Noah Antares Black.

**A/N:** OK, I have an important question. Do you want Edelweiss to focus around Aludra, Noah Ryan, Harry, and Aster, or the Adults? Or a mixture of both? If I focused mostly on the kids the chapters would take a bit longer to get out, but they will probably have more going on. If it's a mixture it will not take as long, and if it's just the adults the chapters will be a tad bit shorter. What do you think?

Another point: The reason Aludra acts as she does, AKA a brat, is because I always see stories where an OCchild is the perfect angel, with no personality flaws or anything. Aludra's honestly a good person, she just is a bit bratty in comparison to a lot of the other characters. I had her be a bitch in the beginning to show that she's starting to realize that it isn't all about her, and that she has to grow up.

It's Annalisa!!!!! Originally, she was going to show up in chapter 7 (Go Girlkitsune!!) but I decided to stick this in, because I miss Annalisa. :"(

**Song of the Chapter: **"Stripped" by Shiny Toy Guns. I think this applies to Annalisa a lot in this chapter. :D

Yours truly,  
B.E.N.

P.S: Reasoning behind my constantly switching tones in my AN's. Recently, I've realized how last year I took a personality change for the worst, and I basically turned into something I hated. I'm on the mend, I guess you could say, and have started with accepting all apologies, releasing all my grudges, and saying sorry to anyone I have upset. I'm fixing myself for the better, so my AN's will constantly have switching tones. Sorry 'bout that. And sorry it's not as long as the last two chapters, but I thought you might be tired of waiting. :D


	4. Halloween

**Edelweiss**

**Chapter Four: **Halloween

Harry stifled a yawn as he made his way groggily towards the Gryffindor table with Ron, who wasn't faring much better. He admired the decorations for Halloween that managed to make him smile every time, and took a seat near Aludra and proceeded to pile food on to his plate.

"How did you sleep?" she asked pleasantly, "Wait, never mind, don't answer that. Terribly, right?"

"How'd you guess?" Ron groaned sarcastically, and even though he was dead on his feet he still managed to pile the food on his plate with enthusiasm. Aludra raised her eyebrows.

"You're a very sarcastic person," she said blandly, "That'll get you into trouble one day."

"And you know everything about getting into trouble," Harry said, causing Ron to snicker. Aludra raised her eyebrows.

"You two aren't exactly saints yourselves," she bit out before stomping off, leaving her food untouched. Ron and Harry both exchanged looks.

"What's got her knickers all in a twist?" he asked.

"You hurt her feelings," Hermione said from his right, causing the two to start in surprise; they hadn't noticed she was there, "She's been trying to do good for the past month, and you rub everything in her face."

"Well, she deserves it!" Ron said while Harry thought it best to keep his mouth firmly shut, "She's never been very kind to either of us, right Harry?" Harry didn't get the chance to respond, even if he were planning on it, because the Twins plopped down on either side of him with matching grins.

"Doth our ears deceive us?" Fred asked, cupping his hand around his ear theatrically.

"Art thou insulting our good mate Ally?" George asked innocently, though he looked like he was promising them pain if they were.

"Don't look at me," Harry said quickly. Ron shook his head.

"W-We were just thinkin' that she's been rather mean to Harry over the years, right?" Ron said quickly. He was spared the interrogation as the owls swooped down over head and Harry was greeted by the ever affectionate Hedwig who had a letter from home tied to her leg. Harry thanked her and was rewarded with an affectionate nip and quickly read through the letter. When Aludra's owl swooped down he grabbed the letter for her and stuck it in his bag. Hermione sighed as she glanced at the front page of her Daily Prophet.

"I don't believe it," she murmured.

"Wha?" Ron asked through his mouthful of food. Hermione flattened the page and pointed to the page.

'**EX-DEATH EATER RELEASED FROM AZKABAN'**

"Who was it?" Harry asked curiously.

"Austin Mulciber," Hermione said, pointing to the accompanying picture of him exiting Azkaban. He looked like he had seen better days, and his face was hidden by a mass of greasy, unclean hair and a scruffy beard.

"On account of good behavior?" George asked.

"That's strange," Fred added.

"Someone probably did some major bribing to get him out," Ron added, "He was one of the last Death Eaters to be imprisoned."

"I have a feeling that Aunt Addy isn't going to be too pleased," Harry said dryly, "She's probably thrown something across the room. Most likely her shoes." Ron and the Twins chuckled at the image while Hermione grabbed her paper back up and began reading quietly to herself.

"I've got a feeling that today is going to be a good day," Harry said, "It's Halloween. How can it not be a good day?"

Aludra hummed softly to herself as she walked down the halls through masses of people all trying to make it to their classes in time. She walked at a surprisingly leisurely pace and idly adjusted her bag, and while all the others were preoccupied she darted into a passage hidden by a large tapestry. She moved through the twists and turns before coming to what appeared to be the back of a picture frame. She glanced down at a slip of paper in her hands before sliding out and into the hallway. No one was there, and she quickly stepped into her next class.

"Ah, Miss Aludra, early again I see!" Flitwick said cheerfully, "Aren't you coming from Potions? That's a far walk, isn't it?"

"Oh, I'm a very fast walker," she said politely before sliding in to her seat. As she waited for people to fill in she dug out a letter from her bag with a small smile. She unfolded it with care and quickly read over it.

'_Don't tell anyone I let you borrow it. I'll meet you in the kitchens during dinner to get it back so no one notices its disappearance. Hope you manage to do what you needed to do.'_

There was no signature, but that didn't bother her. She slipped the paper back into her bag as the seat next to her was pulled out and she smiled at her partner briefly before she began pulling her books from her bag.

-

"How did a bloody TROLL find its way into a bloody CASTLE?!" Lily screeched angrily, causing James and Sirius to wince.

"How come they don't have protection against that happening!?" Adelaide added, her temple throbbing, "This isn't muggle London! They're wizards, they should have known better!"

"But no Trolls live anywhere near the region," Sirius said in attempt to sooth her, "They don't expect a Troll to be smart enough to find its way into the castle."

"Well it did!" Lily countered angrily, "and if Harry and Ron hadn't been as lucky as they were, they could have gotten killed! Troll food! I did not protect my son against Voldemort just to have him get squished by a god forsaken TROLL!!!"

"Something doesn't fit," Remus said slowly, cutting off her rant, "There was no damage to the castle doors, it's as if they had been opened for it. The only damage done was in the girls bathroom. A Troll is not smart enough to open a door without causing at least some damage."

"Are you saying someone let the Troll in?" James asked as he came downstairs from putting Aster down for her nap.

"It's possible," Adelaide murmured, "I mean, with Dumbledore hiding the stone, it's not surprising someone is after it."

"But it would have to be opened from the inside," Lily said, her voice quivering, "That means that there is someone in the castle trying to steal the Stone."

"It can't be a teacher, they've all set up the traps!" James said. Sirius blinked and shared a look with Adelaide, who looked like she had also had an epiphany.

"Then…that just makes it easier to find," he said. They all shared looks of worry.

"Well, what about the upcoming Quidditch match!" James said quickly, noticing the tears building in Lily's eyes, "Gryffindor versus Slytherin. My bets on Gryffindor."

"Of course," Adelaide murmured with a roll of her eyes, "The moneys always on Gryffindor. Go, go, Gryffindor! Whoo hoo!" She said it with such a lack of enthusiasm that it caused the others to laugh, all tension leaving the room for the time being.

"What could go wrong during a Quidditch match?" Sirius asked with a grin. Lily shot him a glare.

"Oh, Quidditch is perfectly safe! Other then the possibility of you falling off your broom, getting hit with a bludger, and breaking every bone in your bloody body, Quidditch is the safest game in the world!" Lily grabbed Adelaide's arm, causing the burnet to start in surprise, "You're helping me in the kitchen."

"Okay?" she responded in confusion, shrugging back at Sirius and mouthing a brief sorry. Sirius just smiled slightly before returning his attention to his fellow Marauders.

-

When Aludra awoke the morning of the Quidditch match, sun was beating down on her face through the windows and her skin uncomfortably warm and laced with a thin sheen of sweat. She groggily opened her eyes and wiped away the sleep as she kept her mind focused on anything but her dream. It was a mixture of a nightmare and the best dream ever. She didn't want it to stop, but at the same time she prayed it would end.

Now that she was awake and functioning properly she pushed out of her bed and got dressed snuggly, wrapping her Gryffindor scarf around her neck and slipping her mittens into her jacket pocket. She hurried down to the Great Hall and slipped in alongside Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Part of her took pleasure in Harry's nervous state, while another part thought it might be best to comfort him.

"You've got to eat some breakfast," Hermione instructed him patiently. Aludra had to admit she was amazed at how the threes relationship had improved, all because of a troll. Harry grunted slightly in response.

"I don't want anything," he murmured.

"Just a bit of toast," Hermione pushed, biting down on her lip slightly.

"I'm not hungry," Harry repeated with a bit more bite, and his plate remained unfilled.

"Harry, You need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan in what he thought to be a helpful manner, "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."

"Thanks Seamus," Harry responded dryly.

"You'll do fine," Aludra said immediately, not bothering to elaborate. Harry looked at her in slight surprised, before nodding slightly.

"Thanks," he responded. She smiled brightly at him before she began eating her food, scanning the hall until she spotted Fred getting up from his seat and following after George. She stood and murmured goodbye before hurrying after them, leaving behind her half-eaten food.

At eleven o'clock Aludra found herself setting in the front of the stands and surrounded by yammering teenagers, each getting more excited as time pressed on and they grew closer and closer to the match. She prepared to cheer on her favorite Twins and her baby cousin when she spotted her parents, Aunt Lily and Uncle James. She was slightly disappointed to see that Remus was missing, but she had a feeling that he was watching after the kids for his friends.

She fiddled with her binoculars and turned to see Hermione, Ron, Dean Thomas, Seamus, and Neville Longbottom setting behind her. She raised her eyebrows and admired their large banner, reading 'Potter for President' in flashing letters and a well-drawn lion.

"Nice banner," she said kindly, before twisting back around as loud cheers filled the stands. She grinned widely and whooped as the Gryffindor team made their grand appearance, "GO HARRY! KICK SLYTHERIN ARSE!!!"

Aludra was fairly certain her mother heard what she had said, but she made sure not to glance in their direction, just in case. She glared as Madame Hooch eyed Marcus Flint suspiciously, wanting nothing more then to punch the sixth year in the nose. Last year he had teased her non-stop, constantly calling her blood-traitor and all sorts of nasty names before she finally hexed him, making his teeth even nastier then normal. It was worth the weeks worth of detention from a furious Snape.

Aludra crossed her fingers as the team mounted their brooms and began praying feverishly under her breath. Madame Hooch gave a short, sharp blow of her whistle and fifteen brooms soared up into the air.

"GO GRYFFINDOR!!!" She screamed loudly, grinning as the games began. She was most eager, though, to hear Lee's commentary.

"And the quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor – what an excellent chaser that girl is, and rather attractive too –"

"JORDAN!" Aludra burst into laughter and cheered even louder, pumping her fists in the air enthusiastically as Lee half-heartedly apologized to an irritated McGonagall before continuing on with his always humorous commentary.

"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnit, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year she was only a reserve-,"

Aludra was fond of Alicia, she was a likeable girl. She continued screaming, knowing her voice would no doubt give out, before booing loudly as Slytherin intercepted Alicia's toss back to Angelina only to cheer again as Flint's shot was blocked by the ever efficient Oliver Wood (she admitted to having a crush on him under the effects of Veritaserum slipped to her by Fred and George last year. He never looked at her the same after that.)

"- and the Gryffindor's take the Quaffle – that's chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and – OUCH – that must have hurt, hit on the back of the head by a Bludger – Quaffle taken by the Slytherins – that's Adrian Pucey speeding off towards the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger – sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which – nice play by the Gryffindor beater, anyway,"

Angelina had the Quaffle again, and Aludra screamed in excitement. Even if no one had succeeded in scoring yet, she was pumped and ready to bash some heads in. Angelina skillfully dodged a speeding Bludger and continued towards the goal. Aludra bit down on her lip and crossed her fingers as she threw the Quaffle, watched as Keeper Bletchly dove to block it…

"GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"

"GO ANGELINA!" Aludra screamed excitedly, "GO GRYFFINDOR!! WHOO HOO!!!!"

"Budge up there, move along," she heard Hagrid instruct from behind her and she turned to see him squeezing in by Ron and Hermione. Aludra sent him a friendly smile but quickly turned her attention to the field, scanning the air until she spotted her cousin scanning the field slowly and hovering above the main events. It didn't take too much to spot him, since she had caught him doing loop-de-loops after Angelina had scored that last goal.

"Slytherin in possession," Lee was saying, "Chaser Pucey dodges two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the – wait a moment – was that the snitch?"

"Oh my god," Aludra murmured anxiously, crossing her fingers and gnawing furiously on her lip till it was raw.

Harry and his fellow Seeker, one Terence Higgs (rather cute bloke, if Aludra said so herself) dove after the snitch. All motion had stopped as the Chasers watched to see what had happened. Aludra screamed encouragement as Harry gained speed and reached out – the snitch was right there – he!

"GOD DAMMIT!" Aludra screamed as Marcus Flint blocked Harry, causing him to spin wildly, "HANG ON, HARRY!!"

She could have sworn she heard her mother and Lily scream out curses like sailors at Flint, but she knew she had to have imagined it.

She was screaming with the rest of the Gryffindor's as Madame Hooch called a foul and ordered a free shot for Gryffindor. But the snitch had gone out of sight in all the commotion. Aludra cursed vividly, and barely even heard Dean's small rant on red cards and football.

"So – after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating -,"

"Jordan!"

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul -,"

"Jordan, I'm warning you-!"

"All right, all right, Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

Aludra's eyes were glued to Harry the whole time, not willing to admit that she was worried for him. Her breath caught as he dodged a Bludger that barely missed his head. She was about to let out a sigh of relief when his broom gave a sudden lurch, causing her stomach to mimic the move.

"Oh no!" She whimpered, gnawing viciously on the side of her thumb before she scanned the field and returning her attention immediately back to her danger magnet of a cousin. There was another lurch, and she began to murmur various swears under her breath.

He'd lost control of his broom. But how? Then she realized that she was the only one that had noticed, and the game was continuing on. She snapped her head over to her parents, but they hadn't noticed either.

Oh god, what should she do? His broom was slowly twitching upwards and causing him to go further and further away from the field. She scanned the scans again with her binoculars and she faintly recognized Hagrid wondering what Harry was doing. She stopped when she reached the teachers stand and saw two people staring intently at Harry's broom: Snape, and Quirrel.

Then her sight was blocked as people began pointing up at Harry and crying out in surprise. She adjusted her position and looked at the stands again, so worried that not even the sight of Lily freaking out amused her. A loud gasp and James and Sirius lurching up out of their seats caused her to look back up at Harry.

She screamed.

He was hanging on to his broom by a single hand. Aludra felt tears burn her vision as she realized that Harry could very well die. And she'd been so horrible to him all his life! God, how could she ever live with herself. She was struck with an idea and turned back to the teachers stand, taking in the two suspects expressions. Quirrel looked to be concentrating intently, almost maliciously, while Snape seemed more panicked and worried.

She had an idea, and she very well might get expelled for it.

She hurried out of the stands and had no idea that Hermione had discovered the same thing and taken off in the same direction, just heading for a different teacher. As Aludra positioned herself behind Quirrel she spotted Hermione heading towards Snape, bumping into Quirrel along the way to position herself behind Snape. Aludra let out a breath of relief, and saw pointing her wand at the hem of Snape's robe. She opened her mouth to tell her she had the wrong guy, that the real caster had been stopped, but quickly realized that she would in turn give herself away.

Instead she hurried along the stands to her mother and latched onto her sleeve to catch her attention.

"This isn't the time!" Adelaide panicked, digging her nails into her cheeks as she watched with horror. Lily was worse off and sobbing into James' shoulder, who was staring intently at his son. There was a sudden commotion as Snape stood in a flourish and attempted to stomp out the blue flames on his robes. As this happened the broom quieted and Harry began working on regaining his grip. Aludra turned her attention back to the field and for a brief moment, her heart stopped.

And then he was back on his broom. The family let out simultaneous sighs of relief and slumped into their seats, their energy completely spent. Aludra sat down between her parents and latched onto her fathers arm.

"I caught sight of it in my binoculars," she whispered, "I saw Quirrell and Snape-,"

"Not now, Aludra," Sirius said softly, eyes glued to the field. Aludra frowned and felt a small stab of pain before turning and watching Harry intently. He was diving after a golden blur that Aludra knew to be the snitch. She screamed in anger as he suddenly clasped his hands over his mouth.

"NOW ISN'T THE TIME TO BE SICK!" She screamed as he flipped off of his broom and onto all fours. Then, something gold slipped out of this mouth and in to his awaiting hands.

He'd caught the snitch. The game was over, and Lily was laughing and sobbing at the same time.

"Gods, and you said Quidditch was safe!" She told James, before smacking his arm and rubbing her tears from her eyes. Aludra bit down on her lip and tried to keep back her anger as she realized that everyone had ignored her yet again.

She stood and hurried off towards the castle, not wanting to be caught in the middle of their celebrations. She had more important things too do, like keeping a close eye on Quirrel from now on.

-

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and all things concerning belong to J.K. Rowling. I own Adelaide Black, Annalisa Bertucci, Aludra Hope Black, Ryan Sirius Black, and Noah Antares Black.

**A/N:** I'm paying so much attention to school I can't really spare too much time on these multi-chapter stories. It'll get finish, and for sure the summer will be full of updates. Otherwise I can make no promises. Then, there's all the shit that's gone on recently that's distracted me, and my moms pregnant. I was reading a twilight hp crossover when I had inspiration to write, and here it is! Originally it was going to be longer, but then I realized how long it had been since I posted, so…sorry. :D

**Song of the Chapter: **"I Can't Decide" by Scissor Sisters. Because it goes along with my Doctor Who/David Tennant craze. God I love that sexy, sexy man. :)

Yours truly,  
B.E.N.


	5. Stalking

**Edelweiss**

**Chapter Five: **Stalking

**Check out the A/N please**

When Harry finally made it to the common room, he was surrounded by congratulations and pats on the back. It was nearing midnight when he was finally left in peace, and he stood to go up to his dorm.

"Harry?" Aludra's voice caught his attention, and he turned to see her watching him with a frighteningly vulnerable expression not a foot away from him. How had he not noticed her?

"Yeah? What's wrong?" he asked, and for a moment he was afraid that something had happened to his parents. He had only just seen them after the game, there's no way something could have happened. Right? Or maybe–!

Harry's back stiffened as Aludra wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his hair. At first he thought it was just some sort of prank, that she would shove ice down the back of his shirt or maybe down his pants. Then he heard how her breaths were uneven and shaky and how her shoulders were quivering.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured brokenly, "I've been horrible to you all your life, and I never tell you how much I would hurt if you were dead."

"Um…it's okay," Harry said awkwardly. Aludra shook her head furiously.

"No, it's not!" she said firmly, her voice think with emotion as she pulled away and looked him dead in the eyes, "It's most definitely not okay! I've been so terrible to you, I've hurt you so many times, and it took a stupid Quidditch match to make me realize that you're going to constantly be in danger! You don't need me constantly harassing you on top of that!"

"Look, Ally," Harry finally managed to say, "You not harassing me would be like Ron not eating. It would be like Hermione not bugging us about our grades. It'd be weird."

"I know, but–"

"No buts. You are going to harass me, and you are going to enjoy it!" Harry said in a no-nonsense tone, using all his strength to push Aludra arms length away and keeping his hands firmly on her shoulders, "You will get up in the morning, and your first thought will be 'I wonder what I can do to make Harry's life a living hell'. You will come up with a brilliant plan, and then you will go through with it." Aludra laughed shakily, sniffing slightly.

"You sure?" she asked with a weak smile. Harry pretended to think for a moment.

"Well, you can lie off just a little bit," he said with a relieved smile. He had just managed to avoid a complete breakdown. He deserved a pat on the back, "but only a bit!" Aludra laughed.

"Deal," she agreed, lifting her hand slightly. They shared a firm handshake before they pulled apart. Aludra turned to head to her dorm, before suddenly pivoting back towards him and pointing at him in a half-playful, half-serious gesture.

"If you tell anyone about this," she warned, leaving the threat hanging as she turned back around and hurrying up the steps. Harry shook his head with a curious smile, before following her lead and retiring for the night.

-

It was a week into December and five weeks after the Quidditch match that Aludra realized that something was up. And that something involved Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She didn't always condone spying on people (hah, yeah right) but in this situation she felt she had no choice.

"I'm serious, guys!" She whispered to the twins as they stalked an unsuspecting Quirrel through the snow coated grounds. The lakes ice top glistened in the light, and several students had taken to skating over the top.

"Well, there's your problem," Fred said with a grin before he bent down and began forming a nice solid snow ball, "Hey, you're good at disillusionment charms, right?" Aludra didn't comment and simply taped their heads with the tip of her wand, leaving her disguise for last. She felt a chill move down her spine at the egg yolk feeling, but quickly kept up their conversation.

"Something is up with Harry! This could be a major problem!"

"I'll tell you about a major problem," George cut in, waving his wand and sending Fred's snowball flying towards Quirrel's turban. It connected in a flurry of snow, and Quirrel was quick to keep his turban from falling off and pooling at his feet. He twisted around quickly and scanned his surroundings, but when he saw nothing he turned back and began walking at a quicker pace. The three quickly followed.

"That Malfoy brat," Fred finished after they managed to stifle their laughter, "he just oozes trouble. Heard Ron ranting about it in the common room. He's been making snide comments to Harry about his choice to stay here over Christmas."

"And there's what I'm talking about!" Aludra snapped, quickly covering her mouth as Quirrel turned and warily eyed the grounds again, "Harry completely adores the whole family. There is no way he'd choose to stay here over spending time with them! They're up to something, I swear on my life!" She heard George sigh, and not for the first time thought it odd that she could hear them, but not see them.

"Look, the whole family is staying here for Christmas," he said, placing an invisible hand on what he hoped was her shoulder, "since mum and dad are off to Romania to visit Charlie. Look, we'll keep an eye on them just for you."

"Thanks, that means so much," she said sarcastically, "I was planning on just staying behind and watching them myself."

"Nope, you're going to go home," Fred said in a sure voice, "You miss your family." George hummed in agreement and began to form another snowball, waving his wand and sending it flying towards the professor. Quirrel yelped as it connected with his neck, and Fred cursed.

"If it was just a bit higher," George murmured angrily, "Anyway, you go home. Spend time with your family. We'll stalk your cousin for you, alright?" Aludra seemed to deflate and she sighed, nodding her head before realizing that they couldn't see her.

"Fine," she murmured. She coughed as she felt two hands simultaneously slam against her back in a slightly too hard slap.

"Brilliant!" The twins chorused. Aludra pushed her worries back in her mind and locked them away, determined to spend the week before break with her best friends.

The day before she left for winter hols, she donned her best disillusionment charm right after her morning classes and began to follow her baby cousin step for step. When she started the day and told the twins of her plans, they just shook their heads and let her do as she wished, knowing if she didn't do something now she would spend all vacation worrying about it. She even put a muffling charm on her shoes so they wouldn't be able to hear her heels as they clicked against the ground.

She found the trio walking into the Great Hall with Hagrid, who set up the last of the trees. They were talking about the library and winter holidays.

"The library?" Hagrid asked as they walked out of the hall. Aludra kept back an annoyed sigh – as soon as she finds them, they start going somewhere else! "Just before the Holidays? Bit keen, aren't yah?"

"Oh, we're not working," Harry said casually, "every since you mentioned Nicholas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is." Flamel, Aludra hummed softly, her eyebrow arching, she'd heard that somewhere.

"You what!?" Hagrid cried in surprise, "Listen here – I've told yeh – drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dogs' guardin'."

"We just want to know who Nicholas Flamel is, that's all," Hermione explained innocently.

"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry added, "We must've been through a hundred books already and we can't find him anywhere – just give us a hint – I know I've read his name somewhere."

"I'm sayin' nothin'," Hagrid said flatly. Aludra's interest was thoroughly peeked now. She knew she had a few questions for her dad when she got home tomorrow.

"We'll just have to find out for ourselves," Ron said with a shrug, as if this news didn't sway them in the least, and Aludra found herself following them towards the library as a disgruntled Hagrid stood his ground, watching them warily. Aludra followed Harry towards the restricted section while Hermione and Ron began to pull books off the shelves from a list Hermione had pull together – or at least, Aludra assumed it was Hermione. The boy's weren't organized enough for that.

"What are you looking for, boy?" Madame Pince snapped, startling the two and leaving Aludra with her hand over her mouth as she held back the squeak that would, without a doubt, give her spot away.

"Nothing," Harry said lamely. Aludra held back a laugh as Madame Pince waved her feather duster at him.

"You'd better get out, then," she snapped, "Go on – out!"

Aludra waited with Harry in the corridor, bored out of her mind until the other two finally emerged, each looking put out and shaking their heads. They headed off to lunch, and Aludra prepared to leave when something Hermione said caught her attention.

"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" she asked, "And send me an owl if you find anything."

"And you can ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," Ron said, as if it were the best idea ever, "It'd be safe to ask them."

"Very safe, as they're both dentists," Hermione said dryly. Aludra held back a giggle before she darted away from them and into a corridor, where she removed her charm.

"Sneaking around, are we, Black?" Snape's drawl came from behind her and made her jump in surprise. She turned and smiled politely at him, which didn't seem to faze him in the least. If anything, it made him looked even more aggravated.

"Just looking after Harry, sir." She said semi-truthfully, "I was just heading off to lunch."

"Of course you were," Snape said, obviously not believing her, "I will have you know that if a single prank goes off today, I will be the first to inform your parents about you stalking tendencies."

"Of course, Professor Snape, sir," she agreed. She was about to head off to lunch when she turned quickly, startling the Professor slightly, "Sir, I'd like to thank you."

"What are you-,"

"For the Quidditch match. You saved Harry's life," Aludra continued. She ignored his surprised expression and offered a genuine smile, "If it weren't for you Harry could have died." She began walking away then and didn't look back to see that he looked completely befuddled, trying to accept that Sirius Black's_ daughter _would thank him. A student passed by and took one look at him, before he burst out laughing.

"Ten points from Ravenclaw!" Snape snapped, before turning away and stalking off towards the dungeons.

-

"Daddy!" Aludra squealed as she spotted Sirius in the crowd of parents. She drug her chest behind her with ease and launched herself into his arms the moment she was close enough. Her breath left her as he hugged her tightly, popping her back in the process, "Where's everyone else?"

"They're at the house," he explained as he set her back on the ground and grabbed her bag, "Ryan and Noah decided to go outside without their jackets, so they're currently laying around at home trying not to puke."

"Oh. Well, that makes sense," she reasoned with a shrug. They ran through the barrier and headed towards the car. Aludra felt a grin break across her face as she spotted his motorcycle, "Does mum know you took the bike?"

"No, and she isn't going to find out," Sirius explained. Aludra laughed and he shrunk down and feather-weighted her trunk, sticking it in his pocket. She grabbed his spare helmet and stuck it on her head, a part of her realizing that her hair would be a mess when she got home. She hopped on to the bike with a wide grin.

"Wait till you see what she can do," Sirius said, slipping in the key and revving the engine. Aludra tightened her grip around his middle with a manic grin as he backed up slowly. Then, before she could really comprehend what was going on, the bike shot forward like a bullet. Aludra whooped in excitement and locked her fingers together, watching as the landscape blurred past her. She thought it wouldn't get any better, but then they made it to a desolate part of town.

"Hold on tight," Sirius instructed. There was a loud roaring sound, and then the bike lifted up off the ground. Aludra screamed.

"Oh my GOD!"

They were flying.

The motorcycle was _flying._

"Mum is going to kill you!" she screamed, tightening her grip till her knuckles were white. Sirius just laughed with wide, excited eyes and made sure they got to the cover of the clouds. Aludra's skin stung as the wind beat at her skin, but the excitement and adrenaline rush made it worth the pain. Sirius made sure to lower the bike as they got closer to the house and to simply drive in, knowing that if Adelaide caught him flying the bike with their daughter in the middle of winter there would be hell to pay.

"Go in and I'll park the bike," Sirius instructed, "Keep quiet, though. It's our little secret."

"Right," Aludra agreed as he handed her the shrunk down trunk. She hurried up the sidewalk and into the house to be immediately greeted by her mum with a large, back-popping hug.

"I'm so glad your home!" Adelaide said, tears building up in her eyes, "I hope you don't mind, but James and Lily are spending Christmas with us since Harry decided to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas."

"Of course I don't mind," Aludra said with a roll of her eyes as they pulled away, "They're my favorite aunt and uncle after all."

"They're your only aunt and uncle," Adelaide said dryly. Aludra grinned.

"Exactly." Adelaide laughed and gave her daughter one more hug before waving her wand and unshrinking her trunk.

"Get that up to your room and start unpacking," she instructed, "I'm working on dinner now. All your favorites." Aludra smiled happily at her mum and hurried to her room, the only downstairs room, with her things. Adelaide watched before turning to the door, where Sirius was leaning against the doorframe with a smile.

"She seems happier," he said, closing the door and wrapping Adelaide in a warm hug, "Ever since the Quidditch match, anyway." Adelaide hummed her agreement and they stood there for a long moment until the sound of footsteps scurrying downstairs caused them to move apart. Ryan and Noah quickly made their appearance with wide smiles and pink noses.

"Ally's back!" Noah said happily, his smile so wide it looked like his cheeks would crack. Ryan opened his mouth to agree, but was interrupted by a violent sneeze, followed by three more sneezes and a groan.

"I thought I told you to rest," Adelaide said, turning and placing her hands firmly on her hips. Noah kept smiling.

"But Ally's back," he reasoned. Adelaide shook her head with a sigh.

"Go sit on the couch and don't get up until I say you can," she instructed. The two shared victorious smiles before scurrying to the couch and lifting themselves up, grabbing the blankets strewn across the back and curling up until it would be next to impossible to use their arms to reach for anything. Sirius and Adelaide shared amused looks before joining them on the couch. Aludra came back in minutes later and joined them on the couch with a wide smile.

"So, how's Hogwarts been?" Adelaide asked as she intertwined her fingers with Sirius. Aludra shrugged.

"Not too much," she said, before she bit down on her lip, "If I ask you a question will you promise not to get mad?" Sirius and Adelaide both shared cautious looks.

"Of course," Adelaide said after a moments hesitation. Aludra bit down on her lip before deciding it might just be best to come out with it.

"Who's Nicholas Flamel?" she asked. She knew she should have kept her mouth shut the moment she saw her parents reaction, and she bit down on her lip so hard it drew blood.

"How do you know about him?" Adelaide asked, her voice deathly quiet. Aludra was quick to justify her question.

"Well, after the Quidditch match I decided to keep a close eye on him, and then when I heard he was staying at Hogwarts for Christmas I started following him around. Then, I heard him talking to Hagrid and asking about a guy named Nicholas Flamel; apparently their spending the holidays looking for information on him in Hogwarts library. I know I've heard it before, and I was just wondering so I could have some sort of idea about what they're doing." She managed to say this with a minimal amount of breaths, and tears building in her eyes. Her parents still seemed tense, but they didn't look angry at her.

"We should talk to James and Lily about this," Adelaide said quickly, "Maybe it's a coincidence?"

"That's a big coincidence," Sirius said slowly, "but I'll check with them. Who knows where he learned it from, though."

"Another thing," Aludra said slowly, glancing at Ryan and Noah who were passed out, "About the Quidditch match. I saw Quirrel and Professor Snape both murmuring under their breath. Quirrell looked really intense while Snape looked kind of panicked, which led me to believe that Quirrel was jinxing the broom while Professor Snape was trying to save him."

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Sirius asked. Aludra bristled.

"I tried! Right after it happened! I was over there because I knew I had to stop Quirrel somehow, but Hermione bumped into him because she only saw Snape murmuring under his breath. I immediately went to tell you about it, but you brushed me off!"

"I'm sorry," Sirius apologized, "We were preoccupied, and I didn't think it would be that important."

"Its okay," Aludra murmured, sniffing and holding back tears. Sirius sighed and waved her over. Aludra shook her head stubbornly. He waved his hand again, and she sighed and walked over, taking a seat in his lap while he gave her a hug.

"You okay?" He asked after a minute. Aludra nodded.

"I'm going to take a nap," she murmured, before yawning. Sirius released her and she gave her parents quick kisses on the cheek and ruffled Noah and Ryan's hair, "Can you wake me up for dinner?"

"Of course," Adelaide agreed, and when Aludra headed back to her room she looked at Sirius with a grave expression.

"We need to talk to James."

-

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and all things concerning belong to J.K. Rowling. I own Adelaide Black, Annalisa Bertucci, Aludra Hope Black, Ryan Sirius Black, and Noah Antares Black.

**A/N:** Well…I'm surprised I managed to write at all. My mother just had a miscarriage, and we were getting really really excited over it…so…yeah.

I posted Calendula, which is a side story to the Flower Series all about Annalisa and how she got to where she is. I'm working furiously on that, because Annalisa's character is easier for me to write. I find the angrier and more emotional a character is the easier it is for me to write it. If someone is too light hearted, much like Adelaide, it's more difficult for me.

So, check out Calendula, but keep in mind that IT IS RATED M. Really, REALLY M. Its got sex, infidelity, snogging, self-harm, violence…yeah. Be warned.

**Song of the Chapter: **"Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga. Really, it's a guilty pleasure. I can't believe I like it. Eep!

Yours truly,  
B.E.N.


	6. Dreams and Dancing

**Edelweiss**

**Chapter Six: **Dreams and Dancing

_Dear Mum and Dad;_

_Harry and his friends are up to something – tell me something I don't know. But it sounds pretty nasty, since Ron was admitted to the hospital with a nasty looking bite on his hand. I don't know what caused it, but it was all purple and yellow, so whatever it was it was venomous. He's all better now, but I still have no idea what did it. Wish I could tell you more on the subject._

_But what's worse is that around the time Ron was admitted to the Wing, Harry, Hermione, and Neville (of all people) lost 150 points for Gryffindor. They're completely shunned by everyone, including Fred and George and myself. I don't think I've had a proper discussion with them since the last Quidditch match. I kinda feel bad, but unless they manage to get us those points back and win us the house cup, I don't think I'll be able to talk to them ever again._

_Then, to add on to that, they got a detention in the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid tonight, so it should be all right, but there are all sorts of monsters in there._

_But aside from them, I've been doing pretty well in school and me and the twins are having a blast, though now that it's getting close to crunch time we haven't had the time to get around to all the things we were planning on doing since September 1._

_Love you lots, and see you soon!_

_Aludra_

Aludra froze and gently gnawed on the side of her thumb as she re-read her letter before nodding and putting it in an envelope – she'd make sure to mail it before breakfast tomorrow. She got up quickly, wincing at the sound of the wooden legs scraping against the floor, before darting upstairs. It was way past her normal bed time, but she was too worried to focus on that at all.

As much as she hated to admit it, she was worried about Harry and his friends. She wasn't usually paranoid, but she just had a gut feeling that something was going to go wrong. Half of her, the slightly-insane half, told her to grab her coat and rush into the forest and stop her cousin from doing something idiotic (which would without a doubt happen, seeing as this was Harry she was talking about). The other, mentally-safe side of her told her that she was over reacting and that he would be fine. She knew this, because Fred, George, and herself had been in the forest numerous times before and absolutely nothing had happened to them!

'_Well, we only went in about three yards before getting caught by Hagrid,'_ she thought, before quickly banishing the thought.

She stormed as quietly as she could up the stairs, making sure not to wake anyone as she slid her letter into her nightstand and angrily burrowed under her covers, cursing her overactive imagination as images of a mangled Harry popping into her head.

"Stupid cousins doing stupid idiotic things," she mumbled before she closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.

.

Aludra woke up feeling rejuvenated and was quick to leap out of her bed and almost dance over to her trunk, where she preceded to pull out her clothes and then dance over to the unoccupied bathroom. She took a quick shower, savoring the feel of the water massaging her scalp, before toweling off and slipping into her uniform and grabbing her dirty clothes to put into her hamper.

If someone asked her why she was so happy, she would simply reply that she had a good dream. If they dared to ask her what about, she would not-so-politely tell them to 'sod off and mind their own business'.

As she danced down the stairs, the first thing she did was scan the relatively empty common room for her partners in crime. She didn't have to wait long, and soon Lee, Fred, and George were stumbling sleepily downstairs. She quickly darted across the room, ignoring the stares sent her way, and halted eagerly in front of her friends.

"Howdy," she said pleasantly. Lee raised a sleepy eyebrow while the Twins looked at her in sleepy disbelief.

"How can you be so perky at this hour?" Lee asked, his voice dry. Aludra shrugged.

"Good nights sleep, good dreams," she said, unable to keep down the blush that threatened to make its way up her neck, "You?"

"Good dreams, rubbish sleep," Lee said, and the Twins were quick to nod their agreement. They quickly made their way out of the common room and began the long trek to the Great Hall.

"So, what'd you dream about?" Lee asked conversationally – the Twins were too tired to put up the proper effort to uphold a conversation. Aludra flushed and stuck out her tongue.

"Nonya business!" she said, and the Twins suddenly found the effort they were lacking just seconds before.

"Is it what I think it was?" Fred asked mischievously.

"I think it was," George agreed before they both slung their arms around her shoulders, "Was it about, I don't know-,"

"A boy?" Fred finished. Aludra couldn't keep down the deep blush that erupted over her cheeks.

"Which boy?" Lee asked, switching his position so he was walking backwards and watching her face as it continued to turn red.

"It wasn't about a boy!" she snapped. George gasped playfully.

"A girl!" he asked, and Aludra couldn't help but laugh as she ducked and escaped their grasp. Her friends were quick to turn and hunt her down, hooking their arms around hers and dragging her back towards the Great Hall.

"Nu-uh," Fred chastised, "You need to eat – you're a growing girl who needs all the nutrition she can get!"

"And seeing as how we're your only friends," George added.

"We're the ones who need to make sure you get your daily portions of food," Lee finished.

Aludra rolled her eyes, "You guys aren't my only friends. I've got tons of friends – the girls in my dorm all like me, Ron and Hermione don't think I'm too bad…"

"But WE'RE your best friends," George interrupted, "Right Ally?"

Aludra sighed playfully before nodding in consent, "Right, right. Now let me go – I can walk on my own!" They glanced at each other before shrugged and letting her arms drop. She quickly straightened her robes and turned back around, her stomach growling in anticipation.

The rest of the week was a nightmare – the Professors were all going out of their minds trying to stuff all the last-minute information they could into their students mind as the last week before finals arrived. On that Monday, Aludra found herself setting in class and zooming through the practicals while faltering on the written.

Then, before she even knew it, exams were over and she was chilling in the common room with the ever overzealous Fred, George, and Lee – but she couldn't find it in her to celebrate. She didn't really know why there was this bubble of apprehension building in the pit of her stomach, but she chalked it up to the end of the year and the separation from her friends. She was one of the first to retire that night.

.

_The sound of water dripping against the stone floor of Hogwarts echoed around in her head, slowly driving her mad. She looked around and saw nothing, before quickly moving through the twists and turns of her school._

_She jumped in surprise as a large goat charged her angrily, baahing venomously, and she didn't even move. She just raised her arms in a half-arsed attempt at protecting her face. The goat just diverted its course at the last minute and darted around her. She turned to follow it, but it was gone, only the echo of its angry call left._

_She kept walking until she came to the second floor lavatory, where the suddenly not-dead Myrtle danced in the moonlight, her arms thrown above her head and her voice echoing metallically in the air._

"_One, two, three, four, Tommy will open the door," she crooned, and Aludra tilted her head._

"_Who's Tommy?" she asked. Myrtle giggled and shook her head before dancing up to the Gryffindor and pulling her into a complicated dance._

"_Just dance, Ally!" she cried, "Dance and dance until he comes out to play! Then we have to hide. Shhh – He'll find you even here."_

"_Who?" Aludra asked. Myrtle didn't give her an answer, but dipped her partner low until her hair touched the suddenly water soaked floor, before yanking her back up and spinning her with enthusiasm._

"_Five, six, seven, eight, better run here comes the snake!" Myrtle cackled and spun her again, and while she was in mid spin Myrtle dropped her hand and wailed miserably before dashing into her toilet. Aludra fell to the floor with a dazed expression. Suddenly, she was pulled to her feet by both Fred and George, who were then pulling her through the halls of Hogwarts with gleeful if not scary expressions._

"_What's going on?" Aludra asked – she wasn't even fazed when she looked down and saw her robes gone and replaced with a set of elegant dress robes – and her body did not look like that ten seconds ago!_

"_The apple isn't ripe yet," George said cryptically._

"_The worm is looking for the cheese," Fred said, as if the statement completely agreed with his brothers._

"_Then why doesn't the worm eat the apple?" Aludra asked, "and give the cheese to the mouse?"_

"_Because the mouse was eaten by the snake, and soon, the vase is going to be smashed to bits," George answered._

"_Checkmate!" Fred called victoriously, "Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee! Bzz! Bzz!"_

"_Bzz?" Aludra asked. The two suddenly stopped and turned to look at her with faces of comical horror._

"_How dare you say that about our Queen!" Fred asked, "Bzz, bzz bzzz?"_

"_Bzz!" George yelled, "You're just a bzz bzzz bzbz!"_

"_Well bzz bzzz to you too!" Aludra snapped. Fred and George then removed their white gloves (were they wearing those before?) and slapped her cleanly across the face._

"_Have at the, ye scurvy dog!" George chastised._

"_Avast ye swabbies!" Fred agreed, hoisting his sword into the air, "The castle is under attack, and the bumble bee has fallen from his nest!"_

"_Och, aye!" George agreed, suddenly dressed in a kilt with a bagpipe cradled in his arms, "I've been chasin' the toad o'er hill an' o'er dale! The naughty snake is 'oot an' aboot,an' the min'stry's been neglectin' it's chil'ren, snark snark!" He whinnied then, before making a clomping sound much like that of a heard of horses._

"_Have you seen the queen?" Aludra asked, "I hear she has this fabulous snake skin hat…"_

"_Sacrilege!" Fred cried from his spot, as he stood on his head and balanced a pile of plates on each foot, "Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma! Ooch a dook, dook!" He continued to make strange noises as he walked around._

"_Ba-donk-a-donk?" Aludra asked weakly, trying in vain to understand what they were saying. George clapped eagerly, before dashing off._

"_The British are coming, the British are coming!" he cried, and Fred quickly leaped to his feet and followed after his brother, shouting out strange noises and obscenities that Aludra hoped to never hear come out of his mouth again._

_Then she was alone, save for the eerie sound of scales moving against the Hogwarts floors that seemed to follow her no matter where she turned. She stopped though, and noticed that she was dressed as a large T-bone steak, and was dripping some sort of sauce. There was then a dog chewing on her leg, and Aludra quickly shooed it off._

"_Didn't you hear – the British are coming!" she chastised, and the dog quickly ran off, yelping as if he had been smacked over the head._

"_I can see clearly now, the rain has gone!" Myrtles voice echoed from down the hall, "I can see all obstacles in my way!"_

Aludra jerked from her sleep with a physical lurch, and she quickly pushed herself up into a sitting position. Her heart was thudding, and she couldn't keep the confused smile from her face.

"What the hell?" she asked weakly. She let out a shaky breath – something about that dream had terrified her, despite how strange it was, "At least I didn't dream about loosing all my teeth," she murmured as she swung out of bed and headed towards the steps, needing to escape the claustrophobic feeling of her dorm.

She froze as she reached the bottom step and saw one Neville Longbottom at the center of the common room, the latest victim of the full body bind curse. Aludra made a quick decision and hurried upstairs, grabbing her wand, and then running back downstairs.

"_Finite,"_ she whispered, and Neville gasped as he came to.

"Who did this to you? Aludra asked.

"Hermione," he answered. Aludra raised a skeptical eyebrow, and Neville was quick to explain, "She, Harry, and Ron decided to leave after hours to go to this trap door they found, and I told them not to – I did! – but Hermione cursed me before I could try and stop them. We're going to loose more points now, aren't we?" Neville looked close to tears, and Aludra patted his back while trying to shove back her fears.

"How long ago was this?" Aludra asked as she glanced at the nearest clock – it was a quarter till two in the morning.

"About midnight," Neville admitted. Aludra felt her heart constrict, and before Neville could say any more she was dashing out of the common room, ignoring the Fat Ladies angry calls, and hurried to McGonagall's office. She pounded on the door, and it took a few seconds for the professor to get to the door, but when she did answer, her expression was less than welcoming.

"Miss Black! What one earth-,"

"Harry's in trouble!" Aludra blurted. McGonagall's face turned from one of anger, to one of worry. Aludra quickly told her tail and McGonagall's face got only more anxious.

"Oh dear," she said, "Aludra, return to bed – I'll go get the Headmas-,"

"There will be no need for that, Minerva," Dumbledore said as he approached to two with a peaceful face, "I have already been down to the Mirror, and I am saddened to say that Professor Quirrel is deceased."

"What?" McGonagall and Aludra gasped in horror. Dumbledore nodded sorrowfully.

"Yes – I am afraid, he was under the servitude of some very dark magic," he explained, "and was attempting to retrieve the stone to restore his master to power. It is very fortunate that you alerted me about Harry's anxieties, or I might not have gotten to them in time. As it was, I intercepted Miss Hermione Granger on her way to get help."

"What happened?" Aludra whispered, her eyes wide in horror. Dumbledore frowned.

"Voldemort has tried to return," he said bluntly. McGonagall gasped, and Aludra felt her back stiffen with fear. She didn't live through his reign of terror, but she had heard stories. She knew how he could impact a family.

"Did he succeed?" McGonagall asked. Dumbledore shook his head.

"No, not this time. He ran off, though, before anything could be done."

"And Harry?" Aludra asked. Dumbledore managed a peaceful smile that forced her to relax.

"He's fine, my child," he soothed, "I have take him and his friends to Madame Pomfrey to be treated. They have all been through so much tonight – they should be fine."

Aludra felt her body sag with relief, and McGonagall placed a steadying hand on her back, "Can I go see them?"

"They're asleep right now, I'm afraid. You can visit them first thing in the morning. However, I must floo their parents right away. They will want to know about this as soon as possible. You, Miss Black, should go get some sleep – rest easy knowing that your cousin is safe."

"Just, let me sit down for a moment," she agreed, plopping down on the stone floor and taking a deep breath before letting it out. McGonagall quickly stepped around her and began a hushed conversation with the Headmaster. Aludra waited a few more seconds before forcing herself to stand and wiping of the imaginary dirt from her pants.

"I'll see you in the morning, Professors," she said. The both bid her good night, and by the time Aludra made it to her bed she felt more exhausted then she should have. She was quick to curl under her covers and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep.

The next morning was a big event, and the first thing on her list of things to do was to check up on her annoying cousin. She got dressed, ignoring the curious looks of her friends, and dashed down the stairs and out of the common room. She ignored her friends curious glances as she dashed passed them and down the halls until she came to the Hospital wing, where Uncle James and Aunt Lilly sat at Harry's bedside, while a five year old Aster lay sleeping on one of the empty cots. To Harry's left was Ron, who was banged up pretty bad but awake and suffering through the worried fussing of his mother.

"Mum! I'm alright!" he said, but Aludra could tell he liked the attention.

"Auntie Lily! Uncle James!" she called, dashing forward and leaping into her Uncles arms. James grinned and ruffled her hair.

"Hey, Ally cat," he said affectionately, though she could see how stressed he was, "How's school been?"

"It's been pretty good," Aludra shrugged, "how's Harry?"

"Madam Pomfrey says he's going to be fine, he's just a little weak and needs to get his strength back up," Lily said, and Aludra hurried to give her a tight hug, "I hear you were more than a little worried about Harry last night," she teased, and Aludra just rolled her eyes.

"Well, don't tell Harry that – he might actually think I like him," she said, "Where's mum and dad?"

"Sirius has some work to finish at the Ministry and Adelaide's looking after Noah and Ryan," James explained, "They'll be over as soon as Harry wakes up – they're just looking after things at home."

"You should get to class, though," Lily said, "You mum will kill me if you miss anything."

"But exams are over!" Aludra cried, and Lily shot her a look that said 'Do what I say', and Aludra nodded before obediently leaving and heading down towards the Great Hall, where Fred and George eagerly awaited her. She tried to hold back her grin, but the two were quick to notice.

"What's up?" They asked, not even sparing each other a second glance. Aludra raised an eyebrow.

"Hey George – can you do a Scottish accent?" she asked. George blinked in surprise before shaking his head.

"Nah – we're absolute rubbish at accents," he admitted, while Fred nodded his agreement. Aludra couldn't keep back her grin as she slid into her seat and began to pile food on her plate, "Did you hear what happened last night?" George asked.

"Yeah – woke up in the middle of the night and found out that Hermione jinxed Neville," she said with a wry grin, "Almost had a heart attack when I heard they were off to do more mischief. We don't need to loose any more house points!" Fred and George were both eager to nod their agreements.

"So, where's Lee?" she asked. The twins shrugged.

"Haven't seen him all morning," Fred replied.

"Was already out of the dorms by the time we woke up," George added. Aludra frowned before shrugging and turning back to her meal.

"So, do you think we have a chance at winning the house cup?" Fred asked after a few minutes silence. Aludra scoffed.

"You do realize that we're in last place, right?" she asked, "We'd need a miracle to win the cup at this rate!"

.

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and all things concerning belong to J.K. Rowling. I own Adelaide Black, Annalisa Bertucci, Aludra Hope Black, Ryan Sirius Black, and Noah Antares Black.

**A/N:** I'M SO SORRY I'VE BEEN AWAY! I love you all so much, and I'm SO SO SO SO SORRY! Please don't hate me! Hell, just review and get out all your anger and then keep reading. Haha, pleading for mercy and I still find the time to ask for reviews.

So…why I didn't update? Buffy, Doctor Who, lack of inspiration, and HP-related writers block. I'M SO SORRY!

**So, quick little question:** Who do you think Aludra should get together with? I know who I planned her to get together with, but I want to know what you want. She CAN NOT get together with: Ron, Harry, Neville, Crabe/Goyle, Hermione, Ginny, or any other character who has a pairing decided by JK. HOWEVER! If it's with a person who is not considered canonical, like Astoria Greengrass, then it's ok. So she can be with Draco, Lee, Fred, George, Collin, Percy, Wood, or anyone else.

**Song of the Chapter: **"Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield cuz its super-mega-awesome-hot.

B.E. Nomads


	7. Surprise!

**Edelweiss**

**Chapter Seven: **Surprise!

All the cheer Aludra was feeling just days before was gone as she sat at the Gryffindor table, waiting for the House Cup to be announced – she knew that they had no chance. They were in last place last she checked, and there was no way that after Harry's last stint they would win – even if he saved the day.

"C'mon, cheer up Ally," Fred said with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes, "So we lost this year – we'll just beat them all next year!"

"Not if Harry decides to perform any more of these stunts," Aludra murmured into her arms.

Earlier that day Harry had finally woken up and she had run up only to burst in on a sobbing Hagrid and a faintly amused Harry. She'd wanted to throttle him for making her worry, but she decided that she would let them have their moment – she had all summer to try and kill him.

Suddenly there was silence, and Aludra looked up to see Harry walk awkwardly into the hall. Then the silence was gone and replaced with the roar of the crowd as they began to talk excitedly, people standing up to get a better look at the Boy Who Lived. Aludra just put her head back in her arms. She waited until the babble died and Dumbledore began to speak to look up.

"Another year gone!" He said cheerfully, "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were…you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts…

"Now as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy two."

Aludra's heart dropped to her stomach as the Slytherin's broke out into raucous cheers – she even spotted the little blonde Malfoy prat banging his goblet on the table as he cheered. She resisted the urge to gag and cry at the same time. George patted her back sympathetically.

"It's all right, Ally – we've always got next year and a whole new arsenal of pranks to use on them," he soothed. Aludra grinned before returning her attention to Dumbledore.

"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore, "However, recent events must be taken into account."

Silence, and Aludra was pleased to see the Slytherin's smiles fade the slightest bit.

"Ahem. I have a few last minute points to dish out…Let me see. Yes…First – to Mr. ronals Weasley…"

Aludra almost gave herself whiplash as she turned to face her cousin and his friends. Ron's face had turned a delightful shade of purple from embarrassment. She glanced to the twins to see they were looking at each other with raised eyebrows.

"…for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Aludra was among the people that stood and cheered loudly – Gryffindor had moved up to third place. She glanced to see the Hufflepuff table look dejectedly down at their plates. Aludra thought of feeling bad for them, but really she couldn't – she was to darn happy!

"Second – to Miss Hermione Granger…for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Aludra glanced at her cousin once more to see Hermione burry her face into her arms from embarrassment. The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers once more and Aludra did the math in her head – they were just fourteen points behind Ravenclaw. She glanced to their table and saw them all look at Dumbledore nervously as they predicted his next announcement.

"Third – to Mr. Harry Potter…" Dumbledore said and the room was so quiet that Aludra could have sworn she heard a pen drop – she looked to her left to see a first year who had been furiously writing something – possibly the math? – blush and look up at the headmaster, "…for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

Aludra screamed and hugged the twins with all her strength – which was actually quite impressive. The Ravenclaw's sighed and look down dejectedly at their plates while the Slytherin's fought between looking relieved or angry.

"We're tied!" she screamed, "Oh my God, we're tied! We aren't failures!"

Dumbledore raised his hand, and the room slowly silenced itself.

"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore with a knowing smile. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."

The cheers that resulted from this final announcement were so loud that Aludra felt like all the spectators of the Quidditch World Cup had been forced into one room a thousand times too small – she wouldn't have been surprised if her ears started to bleed from the noise. Of course, it probably didn't help that she was screaming at the top of her lungs and was the first person to wrap her arms around Longbottom and hug him. Even the other three houses were cheering over the loss of Slytherin.

"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, "we need a little change of decoration."

He clapped his hands and in an instant the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge serpents were replaced with regal lions and Snape was shaking McGonagall's hand with a clearly forced smile. Aludra finally disentangled herself rom the mob of hugging and returned to throw her arms around the twins, who laughed and returned the gesture.

In Aludra's joy, she'd forgotten that the next day came with their exam results. Her heart thundered in her chest as she stuffed the results in her robe and didn't look at them until she managed to secure a compartment on the Hogwarts Express with Fred, George, and Lee. It was only when the train started that she pulled the results from her pocket and read through them.

"How'd you do?" Lee asked as he bit the head of off a ice mice. Aludra smiled slightly.

"Straight O's save for an Acceptable in Herbology," she recited, "I won't be dying today!" the three laughed.

"That's good," George said.

"Who would we ever replace you with?" Fred asked with a grin.

Suddenly, they were pulling into Kings Cross Stations. As Aludra looked out the window she saw her family waiting eagerly, Noah staring with wide eyes and Ryan dead asleep in Adelaide's arms, and smiled.

.

The summer passed by so fast Aludra didn't know how to handle it – Noah was eight and even more eager to go to Hogwarts now that Aludra and Harry were both enrolled while Ryan was six and still possibly the most adorable baby Aludra had ever seen, even though a sudden growth spurt made Aludra's lack-of-height even more apparent.

However, something about the summer seemed off – whenever Harry came over to visit with the rest of the Potters he was sad and lonely looking, going as far as to seek out Aludra for companionship. She (being the loving and sacrificing person she is) allowed him to bask in her wonder but warned him that the moment school started he had to be five feet away from him at all times. She couldn't let her reputation be tarnished, now, could she?

Aster was possibly even more adorable at five then she was at four, and had finally stopped repeating her words like a broken record though when she got excited she fumbled over words and often lost her train of thought. It was endearing, in an annoying kind of way.

Then it was July 31, and everyone was working together to throw Harry a birthday party to out class his other birthday parties – and it was Aludra's job to keep him away from the living room. So she was stuck playing hide and seek – a game she had never particularly enjoyed – with her baby cousin – who she also had never particularly enjoyed. When her mother had requested this of her, she agreed only if she didn't have to eat anything she didn't like and got a minimum of two pieces of cake reserved for her.

Unfortunately, Adelaide retorted that she would look after Harry and she would do it without getting anything in return and if she didn't do it she would eat an extra helping of everything she didn't like and only one small piece of cake.

"Got you!" Harry called as he thumped her on the back, "Now go back to your room and count to one hundred!"

"You got to count to fifty!" Aludra complained, "We keep increasing the number like this and we'll be counting all day!"

"So?" Harry asked – he was clearly having the time of his life, and how Aludra had no idea, "C'mon, Ally – what else can we do? Mum says not to come down stairs!" Suddenly his eyes lit up, "I got it! A Scavenger hunt!"

"…are you…? Ugh – fine," Aludra agreed. She led Harry to her room and pulled out a scrap of parchment and began jotting down a long list of things she knew to be upstairs, before sneaking out her wand and casting a quick _Germino _and handing the copy to Harry.

"Whoever finds them all come back here and wait for the loser."

"Don't you have the advantage, though?" Harry asked, "You live here."

"Nah – it's just stuff like 'something blue and old', 'something bendy', nothing specific. I don't even know if some of these things are even in the house," she shrugged, "now GO!"

Before Harry could react she was running out of the room and down the hall. Harry murmured a quiet 'darn' under his breath and followed at a slower pace, observing everything around him.

"Something sticky," he murmured, before he entered Noah's room – which had once been a horrible pink color according to Aunt Adelaide. It was now painted a soft blue and instead of one large bed there were two twin sized beds for whenever Harry spent the night.

Harry quickly dropped to his knees in front of the toy box and began pushing the miscellaneous toys aside until he came across a muggle toy that had always confused him – it was a sticky plastic like hand that stuck to everything (including dirt and dust) until all the stick was gone. He grinned in triumph and glanced at the list.

'Something soft'

He grinned as he turned to his bed, only to freeze. He stared at the strange little creature that he had heard of, but never actually seen – it was a house elf with large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes about the size of a tennis ball. They stared at each other for a long time before the elf slipped off the bed and bowed so low its nose touched the ground.

"Er – hello," he said nervously.

"Harry Potter!" the elf squeaked in a high pitched voice that echoed slightly, "So long has dobby wanted to meet you, sir…Such an honor it is…"

"Th-thank you," Harry responded as he took several step backs until he was sitting on the edge of Noah's bed, "Wh-who are you?"

"Dobby, sir," the creature squeaked, "Just Dobby. Dobby the house-elf."

"Oh – really?" he asked, "Um, not to be rude, but this might be a bad time – see, this is my Aunts house, and I'm not supposed to go downstairs…and Aludra might walk in and tell on me for talking to a…er…house-elf."

He heard Aludra curse as something fell and thumped against the floor.

"N-not that I'm not pleased to meet you," Harry was quick to clarify, "but, er, is there any particular reason you're here?"

"Oh, yes, sir," Dobby said in an earnest voice, "Dobby has come to tell you, sir…it is difficult, sir…Dobby wonders where to begin…"

"Um, why don't you sit down?" Harry offered, motioning to the opposite bed. To his horror, the little elf burst into tears.

"_S-sit down!"_ he wailed, _"Never…never ever…"_

There was a pause in the noise down stairs.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered hastily. "I didn't mean to offend you or anything-"

"Offend Dobby!" the elf squeeked, "Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a wizard – like an equal-"

Harry tried to comfort the elf and shut him up simultaneously as he ushered Dobby to the bed, where he sa t and began hiccupping, looking like a large, ugly doll.

"Is everything okay up there?" Sirius's voice called from the base of the stairs.

"Fine!" Harry called back, "I just – er – stubbed my toe! Ow!"

Another pause, before Harry turned back to Dobby and smiled awkwardly, "You can't have met many decent wizards," he said in attempt to cheer him up. Dobby shook his head, before suddenly, without warning, he leapt up and started beating banging his head furiously on the window, shouting "_Bad _Dobby! _Bad _Dobby!"

"Don't – what are you doing!" Harry cried as he jumped up and pulled dobby back down to the bed.

"Dobby has to punish himself, sir," said the elf who was now slightly cross-eyed, "Dobby almost spoke ill of his family, sir…"

"Your family?"

"The Wizarding family Dobby serves, sir…Dobby is a house-elf, bound to serve one house and one family forever…"

Harry knew all of this, of course, but he didn't want to appear rude. "Do they know that you're here?" he asked curiously. Dobby shuddered.

"Oh, no, sir, no…Dobby will have to punish himself most grievously for coming to see you, sir. Dobby will have to shut his ears in the oven door for this. If they ever knew, sir-"

"But wont they notice if you shut your ears in the oven door?"

"Dobby doubts it, sir. Dobby is always having to punish himself for something, sir. They lets Dobby get on with it, sir. Sometimes they reminds me to do extra punishments…"

"Oh. I'm sorry…but can't anyone help you? Could I help?" Harry offered, feeling for the little creature. He then wished he hadn't offered as Dobby dissolved into wails of gratitude.

"Shh! Please, please be quiet! If Aludra comes in…" he glanced over his shoulder and made sure the door was closed firmly. Aludra knocked angrily.

"What's going on in there!" she demanded.

"N-Nothing!" Harry called as Dobby quieted, "Ah – one of Noah's toys went off!"

Silence, before he assumed Aludra had just walked off.

"Harry Potter asks if he can help Dobby…Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir, but of your goodness, Dobby never knew…"

Harry felt his face heat up in embarrassment before saying, "What ever you've heard about my greatness is a load of rubbish. I'm not even top of my year at Hogwarts, that's Hermione, she-"

He stopped talking then, because it hurt to know none of his friends had written him at all over the summer.

"Harry Potter is humble and modest," Dobby praised reverently, "Harry Potter speaks not of his triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-"

"Voldemort?"

Dobby clamed his hands over his ears and let out a low moan, "Ah, speak not the name, sir! Speak not the name!"

"Sorry," Harry apologized quickly, "I know lots of people don't like it. My friend Ron-"

He stopped himself again. Dobby leaned forward with wide eyes before whispering in a hoarse voice, "Dobby heard tell that Harry Potter met the Dark Lord for a second time, just weeks ago…that Harry Potter escaped _yet again."_

Harry nodded and Dobby's eyes shone with tears.

"Ah, sir," he gasped, dabbing his face with the corner of the grubby pillowcase that passed as his outfit, "Harry Potter is valiant and bold! He has braved so many dangers already! But Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door later…_Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."_

Silence.

"W-what?" Harry stammered, "But I've got to go back – term starts on September first. I need to learn magic, so I can become an Auror like Dad."

"No, no, no," squeaked Dobby, "Harry Potter must stay where he is safe. He is too great, too good, to lose. If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger."

"Why?"

"There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," whispered Dobby, who began trembling all over, "Dobby has known it for months, sir. Harry Potter must not put himself in peril. He is too important, sir!"

"What terrible thinds?" Harry asked quickly, "Who's plotting them?"

Dobby made a funny chocking noise before suddenly banging his head violently against the wall.

"All right!" cried Harry, grabbing his arms and forcing the elf to stop, "You can't tell me. I understand But why are you warning me?" He froze, "Hang on – this hasn't got anything to do with Vol – sorry – with You-Know-Who, has it? You could just shake or nod," he added as Dobby began to return to the wall. Slowly, the elf shook his head.

"Not – not _He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,_ sir." Dobby eyes were wide and pleading, as if he were begging Harry to read his mind and simply pluck out the answer.

"He hasn't got a brother, has he?"

Dobby shook his head yet again.

"Well, then, I can't think who else would have a chance at making horrible things happen at Hogwarts," Harry said, "I mean, there's Dumbledore, for one thing – you know who Dumbledore is, don't you?"

Dobby bowed his head, "Albus Dumbledore is the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. Dobby knows it, sir. Dobby has heard Dumbledore's powers rival those of _He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named _at the height of his strength. But, sir-" his voice dropped to an urgent whisper, "there are powers Dumbledore doesn't…powers no decent wizard…"

Before Harry could react, Dobby bounded off the bed and reached for a toy from Noahs trunk. Harry got to him just in time and slammed the lid shut before holding Dobby's hands at his side.

"I need to go back to Hogwarts," Harry whispered urgently, "My friends…"

"Friends who don't even write to Harry Potter?" said Dobby slyly.

"I expect they've just been – wait a minute," Harry frowned, "How do you know my friends haven't been writing me?" Dobby shuffled his feet.

"Harry Potter mustn't be angry with Dobby. Dobby did it for the best-"

"_Have you been stopping my letters?"_

"Dobby has them here, sir," said Dobby as he stepped nimbly out of Harry's reach and pulled a thick wad of envelopes from his pillowcase. Harry could clearly make out Hermione, Ron, and even Hagrid's different scripts. Dobby just blinked anxiously up at Harry, "Harry Potter mustn't be angry…Dobby hoped…if Harry Potter thought his friends had forgotten him…Harry Potter might not want to go back to school, sir…"

Harry wasn't listening and quickly grabbed at the letters, but Dobby jumped out of reach.

"Harry Potter will have them, sir, if he gives Dobby his word that he will not go back to Hogwarts. Ah, sir, this is a danger you must not face! Say you wont go back, sir!"

"No," Harry said angrily, "Give me my friends letters!

"Then Harry Potter leaves Dobby no choice," the elf said sadly. Before Harry could move Dobby had bounded out of the room and began running down the stairs. Harry was only a few steps behind, but it was enough. When he reached the foot of the stairs he looked towards the kitchen only to see Dobby crouched on top of the counter, and a beautiful cake floating dangerously in the air while the adults sat on the back porch and levitated the decorations and lit the porch lights with red and gold.

"Dobby!" Harry hissed angrily, "Don't! Put that down!"

"Harry Potter must promise!" Dobby retorted.

"I can't – I need to go back! Please Dobby, Aunt Adelaide will murder me! I'll get grounded for life!"

"Harry! You aren't supposed to be downstairs!" Aludra's voice scolded from the top of the stairs. She took her sweet time coming down, and Dobby shook his head sadly as the cake began to float away from the counter. Aludra turned and faced Harry with a frown, her hands fisted on her hips and her back to the floating cake, "Upstairs, now, and I won't tell your mum you were peeking."

Harry opened his mouth to warn his cousin, but it was too late. The cake had reached it's mark just as Adelaide and Lily turned to return inside, giving them a perfect view of the duo and the cake as it fell and covered Aludra with cake. No one saw Dobby, and no one heard him as he disappeared.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"

Harry felt his stomach clench as his mother glared angrily at him and Remus, Sirius, and James entered the house with disappointed/amused frowns on their faces. Aludra's mouth was hanging open and her eyes were watering, but she quickly snapped her mouth shut and glared angrily at him.

"I didn't do it!" he defended, "It wasn't me! I tried to warn her, but it was too late!"

"Who did it then?" Adelaide demanded.

"I-It was a house elf!" Harry said truthfully. Adelaide just raised an eyebrow, before turning her head back to Sirius.

"Go get Ally cleaned up, please," she said. Sirius was quick to comply and led his daughter up the stairs – Harry distinctly her the sound of her sniffling.

"Our house elves aren't here tonight, Harry," Adelaide said with a tick in her brow, "I gave them the night off."

"It wasn't one of you elves! I didn't know him!"

"What was his name, then?" Lily demanded. Aster peeked at Harry from behind James's legs and looked innocently up at her father and murmured something that he didn't respond to.

"D-Dobby," Harry said after a pause. The mothers anger flared.

"And you can't even think of a proper name!" Adelaide screeched, "I mean, you could have gone with anything and instead you just choose to take Nobby's name and switch the first letter? Really?"

"Harry James Potter, we are going home this instant! You are grounded, and you can forget about your birthday presents! You'll get them at Christmas – maybe not even then!" Lily said angrily, before turning to Adelaide and frowning apologetically, "I'm so sorry, Addy, I know you spent so much time on making sure his cake was perfect."

By now, Adelaide was in tears that she tried desperately to keep back. She murmured a chocked, 'It's okay' before she raced up stairs to avoid the sorrowful glances. James finally stepped forward with Aster in his arms and a disapproving frown on his face.

"Harry – I'm very disappointed in you," he said, "You went to far – go apologize to Adelaide and Aludra right now."

Harry had never hated anyone as much as he did at that moment – he knew that next time he saw Dobby, it wouldn't have a happy ending.

.

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and all things concerning belong to J.K. Rowling. I own Adelaide Black, Annalisa Bertucci, Aludra Hope Black, Ryan Sirius Black, and Noah Antares Black.

**A/N:** Honestly I was surprised at how many of you wanted Aludra to get with Wood! I never even thought of him…but now it sounds like a really good idea! But I'm not saying that's what'll happen…:)

So, since the options were narrowed down to two choices, I'm going to post a poll on my profile with the options and I want you to choose your favorite – it's easier to keep count that way. :)

**Song of the Chapter: **"Hurt" by Christina Aguilera – whenever I see the music video I can barely keep from bursting into tears. It makes me think of my grandfather. :( I miss him so much.

B.E. Nomads


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